IX. David O. McKay The opening session of the Conference convened Friday morning, April 6, 1951 at 10 o'clock, with President David O. McKay, President of the Council of the Twelve, presiding and conducting the services. President David O. McKay: This is the opening session of the One Hundred Twenty-first Annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We are convened in the tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. As you all know, through general announcement already given, last Wednesday, April 4, at 7:27 p.m., there came to a close, on his eighty-first birthday, the earthly career of our beloved leader, President George Albert Smith. A few moments after his heartbeat stopped one of his daughters--I am not clear this morning whether it was Emily or Edith--said, with aching heart, "This is the only way father could attend conference." Though his chair is vacant this morning let us hope that the influence of his Christ-like character will pervade every heart and his high ideals be an inspiration to us all. Truly he was a noble soul, happiest when he was making others happy. In his daily life he strove sincerely to apply the teachings of Jesus to "love the Lord thy God with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength . . . and thy neighbor as thyself." President Smith's passing leaves the Quorum of the First Presidency disorganized, and the presiding authority of the Church now rests with the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. At a meeting this morning at nine o'clock this Council requested that the counselors to President Smith conduct the exercises of this General Conference. President Clark, will you please come forward and take your place? (Elder J. Reuben Clark, Jr., then took a seat by President McKay on the upper stand.) All of the General Authorities of the Church are in attendance. Elder Joseph Anderson is the clerk of the conference. These services, and all general sessions of the conference, will be broadcast in the Assembly Hall and in Barratt Hall over the loud speaking system and by television. This service and all general sessions of the conference will be broadcast over station KSL, Salt Lake City, and by arrangement through KSL over the following stations: In Utah: KSUB at Cedar City, KSVC at Richfield, KJAM at Vernal, KBUH, Brigham City, and KVNU at Logan. In Idaho: KGEM at Boise, KID at Idaho Falls, KEYY at Pocatello, KBIO at Burley, KVMV at Twin Falls, and KRXK at Rexburg. We are grateful to the stations named for their cooperation in broadcasting these proceedings and we thank them for their services which will continue throughout the conference. In the interest of time, however, we shall not repeat this announcement at every session. All general sessions will also be televised over the KSL television station channel 5. The choir singing for this morning's session will be by the Brigham Young University combined choruses with Elders Newell Weight and Crawford Gates conducting and with Elder Frank W. Asper at the organ. We will begin the morning services by the Brigham Young University combined choruses singing: "Thanks Be To God," conducted by Elder Newell Weight. The opening prayer will be offered by President Jared J. Trejo of the Southern Arizona Stake. Funeral Services for President George Albert Smith April 7, 1951 PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY President of the Council of the Twelve Apostles and Second Counselor to President George Albert Smith In the announcements made of groups who have sent messages of condolence and sympathy, we mentioned ministers of other churches. May I announce to you today that the president of the Reorganized Church, President Israel A. Smith, kinsman of President George Albert, is here in person paying his respects to the family and is sitting among the mourners. The family very graciously asked if I would speak on this occasion. Out of consideration to you and in face of the fact that much has been said in tribute to our departed brother, which need not and should not be repeated, I will content myself to a few words of summary, and trust that this will be acceptable to my dear friends who are members of this illustrious family. PURPOSE OF SERVICES The purpose of these services is to pay tribute to our departed brother, and, secondly to bring solace, and peace to the sorrowing hearts of the bereaved. We have listened to tributes, as great I think, as could be paid to any great leader. May I now say a word about the second purpose of a funeral service: To bring solace and comfort to sorrowing hearts. This is done by three principal means. First, in contemplation of the fact that he, whose departure strains the heart strings, has lived a useful, noble life. What consolation that will bring to any bereaved father, mother, or child. Second, comfort in the consciousness that loved ones were true and loyal as his children and kinsfolk, and that particularly during illness they did everything humanly possible to administer to his needs, to alleviate his pain, and to give him comfort. And third, comfort in the assurance of the immortality of the human soul; the assurance that their father is just away. In the highest degree you children and kinsfolk should find peace and consolation from these three contributing factors. COMFORT IN BEREAVEMENT Secondly, and I speak advisedly here, for I have seen these children, son and daughters in action, the tender attention, thoughtful, efficient care rendered by you daughters and by Albert and other members of the family, your having left nothing undone, nothing unapplied, which might contribute to your father's restoration or to his comfort, should now in this hour of bereavement bring consolation to your aching hearts. And not only in this hour, but throughout the coming years. And thirdly, as sure, as certain as Christ's spirit visited other spirits in the eternal realm while his body lay in the borrowed tomb of Joseph of Arimathea, so lives the immortal spirit of your father our friend, our beloved leader, President George Albert Smith. We said in the opening that we believed he is aware of our presence here today. Why shouldn't he be? Christ was conscious of the nearness of His Father when he stood at the grave of Lazarus and said, "I know thou hearest me always." Last Tuesday night Brother George Albert Smith lifted his hand to Sister McKay and me and said, "Goodnight." That was his last word to us. Twenty-four hours later he awoke in a glorious morning in the presence of those loved ones who had gone before, and realized the truth of Christ's saying on earth, "In my Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you." God bless his memory and bring comfort to your souls today and always, you choice children and members of an illustrious family, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. General Priesthood Meeting, April 7, 1951 President David O. McKay Though Brother Clark felt a little irked when his assigned duty to direct was slightly modified, he has set a good example to us all. He did as he was told. There are in attendance tonight, as reported, a total of 15,050 members of the Priesthood--10,250 in seats, aisles, and doorways of the Tabernacle: 300 in the Baptistry; 2,200 in the Assembly Hall; 1,000 in the Barratt Hall, and an estimated 1,300 on the grounds. Six months ago, we were blessed with the presence of our beloved President, George Albert Smith. Tonight we are deprived of his earthly companionship. How uncertain life is. The silent, inaudible foot of time is marching on bringing each of us nearer and nearer to the end of our earthly careers. Before his passing there were a few items scheduled for presentation at this priesthood meeting, and I shall just mention them briefly before making a few concluding remarks. MISSIONARY RECOMMENDATIONS One relates to the interviewing of prospective missionaries by bishops. Will you please be more careful about recommending men about whose health may be a question. Missionary work is strenuous when it is done properly, and we do not like missionaries to go out and not do it properly. If there is any question about their health, please sit down and have a talk with them and tell them that their services here in the home missions will be just as acceptable to the Lord as their labors out in a foreign mission. The Lord would like them to live and serve. Do not put them under an environment that will probably aggravate some physical weakness. It is surprising how eagerly the young women and some married women seek calls to go on missions. We commend them for it, but the responsibility of proclaiming the gospel of Jesus Christ rests upon the priesthood of the Church. It is quite possible now, in view of the present emergency, that we shall have to return to the standard age for young women, which is twenty-three. The last few months we have been calling young women twenty-one years of age when they have special qualifications. Bishops and presidents of stakes will please bear in mind that from now on they should not recommend young women under the age of twenty-three. That is merely returning to the standard already approved by the brethren. Now, that does not mean that the young girls who have already received calls or whom you have already interviewed who are only twenty-one may not have their recommendations completed. In this connection, we advise that mothers who have dependent children, that means children who are in their teens or under or unmarried, should not be called on missions even though the grandparents are willing to take care of the children. No nobler work in this world can be performed by any mother than to rear and love the children with whom God has blessed her. That is her duty, and that is far greater than going out into the world to proclaim the gospel, because somebody else can do that who does not bear the responsibility of rearing and loving the children who call her mother. TEMPLE WORKERS Last evening we held a long meeting with temple presidents and out of that meeting comes this recommendation, and there are strong reasons back of it, brethren! Will the bishops please take more care in recommending members to do temple work, to perform temple ordinances. Now the great majority of those who are going through the temple are worthy, and it is a glorious work. But if one or two unworthy get into the company and make some objectionable remark or leave an objectionable sign somewhere it tends to retard the spirit and to discourage some young man or young woman who came anticipating a glorious spiritual feast. SUNDAY SCHOOLS Next, it has already been recommended that Sunday Schools be not dismissed on quarterly conference day. If the conference is held in the ward house, of necessity, Sunday School will have to be adjourned, but that is the only exception. The reason for that will be readily seen if I read you the following letter without giving the name. "Last Sunday I was in X town visiting my son. Feeling that I should like to visit a Sunday School in X town on Easter, I drove there. Calling at the home of a friend I was informed that stake conference was being held and that Sunday School had been canceled. I informed the lady of the house that Sunday Schools are conducted on conference Sundays. She then called one of the Sunday School teachers and was given definite assurance that no Sunday School service would be conducted in that ward. Three women in the vicinity dressed their little girls in their Easter outfits and sent them to the Community Church." INSPIRATION OF PRIESTHOOD MEETING Now, just a few concluding remarks: One of our business men, non-member, who attended the funeral this afternoon, looked over the audience and said, "Look at that audience. It cannot be duplicated anywhere else in the world." I wish it were possible for him to see this audience tonight. Ten thousand men who hold the priesthood of God. What an inspiration! What an opportunity is ours to succeed in life! Bishop Wirthlin referred to some who are discouraged. We have heard from Bishop Richards also, and others, young men now being called into the field and into the armed forces, so many young women without close companionship of young men of their age, some entered in their school and missions are discouraged. But let me just give two suggestions that will lead to success in any boy's life or any woman's life, will lead to the success of any person in the world and particularly those who hold the priesthood. ATTENDANCE TO DUTY The first is, attend to the immediate duty in hand. No person living in this Church can say he or she has not an immediate duty. It may be attendance at a priesthood meeting; the Aaronic Priesthood or Melchizedek. It may be fasting on the first Sunday and giving fast offerings for the poor. Do not say those are insignificant duties; it may be the duty of attending worship on the Sabbath day, either in Sunday School, Priesthood meeting or Sacrament meeting or Mutual at night; it may be visiting a sick neighbor; or it is the payment of tithing. Whatever the immediate duty, perform it. That is the first step. Outside of the Church you have a problem before you in your business or in social or political circles. Before you take that step ahead, ask yourself whether you can justify taking it if you were called into the presence of your Father in Heaven. If you can, take it. One of our American writers, some do not call him a poet, expressed this thought very impressively: Who does his task from day to day, And meets whatever comes his way Believing God has willed it so Has found true greatness here below. Who guards his post no matter where Believing God must need him there, Although but lowly toil it be Has risen to nobility. For great and low there's but one test, 'Tis that each one will do his best. Who works with all the strength he can Shall never die in debt to man. LOVE FOR FELLOWMEN The second great guide to success has been illustrated during the last week particularly, or last few days, more impressibly right in our midst than perhaps we have ever seen it before and it may be a long time before we see it again. It is the power of the greatest thing in all the world--love for fellow men. The poet Browning who has Paracelsus say to his friend Festus, "There was a time when I was happy; the secret of life was in that happiness." "When, when was that?" asked Festus. "All I hope that answer will decide." Paracelsus: "When, but the time I vowed myself to man?" Festus: "Great God, thy judgments are unscrutable." And then Paracelsus concluded: "The answer to the passionate longings of the human heart for fullness is this: Live in all things outside yourself by love and you will have joy. That is the life of God; it ought to be our life. In him it is accomplished and perfect; but in all created things it is a lesson learned slowly and through difficulty." I will conclude that thought by reading to you that wonderful statement of Paul on love. ". . . charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever." (Moroni 7:47) Love suffereth long and is kind. Love envieth not, love vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Love never fails." God help us to exemplify in our lives that love which was so well exemplified, ideally exemplified, in the life of our beloved leader, President George Albert Smith, who sought to approach the love of Christ, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. General Conference - April 8, 1951 PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY Brethren and sisters, I deeply sense my inadequacy in trying to express in words the message I have in my heart this morning. I earnestly pray therefore for your sympathetic mental attitude and particularly for your spiritual support. TESTIMONY OF REDEEMER "For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: "And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: "Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me." (Job 19:25-27.) Thus was spoken the heartfelt assurance of Job, expressed in humiliation when everything else was taken from him and even his body utterly wasted in affliction. If a few more million men in the world could feel that testimony--the testimony of the reality of our Redeemer--selfishness would be less manifest, war among nations would be eradicated, and peace would reign among mankind. Do you believe that, my fellow workers? "What think ye of Christ?" was the question Jesus put to a group of Pharisees when they, with scribes and Sadducees, sought to entrap, to confound the Great Teacher by asking him entangling questions. He silenced the Sadducees in their attempt to ensnare him with regard to paying tribute to Caesar. He satisfied the scribes regarding the first and great commandment. Now he put to silence the Pharisees regarding their anticipated Christ. To this congregation, to the Church, and to the world, I repeat this question as being the most vital, the most far-reaching query in this unsettled, distracted world. CONTRIBUTIONS OF GREAT MEN Great minds in all ages who have contributed to the betterment of mankind have been inspired by noble ideals. History is replete with men who, as Wordsworth expresses it, "By the vision splendid, were on their way attended." There is John Milton, for example, inspired with a desire as a boy of twelve to write a poem that would live for centuries. As a result, the world has Paradise Lost, and later in life, though blind, the poet as he approached the closing moments of his life, exclaimed: "Still guides the heavenly vision." Sir Walter Scott, as you know, wrote almost day and night to pay off a debt for which he was not really responsible. George Washington, guided by the desire to build a noble character and to be of service to his country, cried: "I hope I may always have firmness and virtue enough to maintain what I consider to be the most enviable of all titles--the character of an honest man." Abraham Lincoln's lofty soul, expressing himself thus: "with malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nations wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations." (Second Inaugural Address.) These and others who live to their best are the men "who realize in daily life their luminous hours and transmute their ideals into conduct and character. These are," continues the writer, "the soul architects, who build their thoughts and deeds into a plan: who travel forward, not aimlessly, but toward a destination; who sail not any-whither but toward a port, who steer not by the clouds, but by fixed stars. High in the scale of manhood these who ceaselessly aspire towards life's Great Exemplar." HIGHEST OF ALL IDEALS But let me explain again, the highest of all ideals are the teachings and particularly the life of Jesus of Nazareth, and that man is most truly great who is most Christlike. What you sincerely in your heart think of Christ will determine what you are, will largely determine what your acts will be. No person can study this divine personality, can accept his teachings without becoming conscious of an uplifting and refining influence within himself. In fact, every individual may experience the operation of the most potent force that can affect humanity. Electricity lightens labor in the home, imprisons alike on a disc the warbling tones of the mockingbird and the convincing appeal of the orator. By the turn of a switch, it turns night into day. The possibilities of the force resulting from the breaking up of the atom seem to be limitless either for the destruction or the blessing of life. Other and greater forces are already glimpsed. THE MAN OF GALILEE None, however, is so vital, so contributive to the peace and happiness of the human family as the surrendering of our selfish animal-like natures to the life and teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. George R. Wendling in The Man of Galilee confirms this thought as follows: "Believe it! The most wonderful work in all the world is not to take iron, steel, and brass and make a locomotive nor is it to take gold and diamonds and cog-wheels and make a watch; nor is it to take canvas and colors and brush and paint an Angelus; nor yet is it to take pen and parchment and write an Iliad or Hamlet, but an infinitely greater work than all is to take an ignoble, cruel, impure, and dishonest being and transform him into an upright, gentle, noble, and pure man. Here we touch the creative power of the Galilean--and bow before the mystery. "Here we find the crowning glory of all the evidences, attested by millions of intelligent men and women, the fact, mysterious but not illusory, that His very presence is found, is realized, is verified, and that He is as helpful, as vital, and as inspiring now as when the matchless Beatitudes fell upon the ears of a listening multitude two thousand years ago." PETER AND PAUL TRANSFORMED Peter, the chief Apostle, is a striking example of this transforming power. He was a humble, reputedly a rough, uncultured fisherman to whom Jesus of Nazareth became an inspiration. The vision that bade him say, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the Living God," became the guiding light of his life. Conditions occasionally made him falter, but he regained the lightened pathway. Bigots scoffed at him; religious zealots, political charlatans arrested, imprisoned, and shackled him as a dangerous enemy to society, but the heavenly vision lightened the darkened dungeon, burst open prison doors, struck off the fetters that bound his wrists, as well as his wavering soul, and gave him courage and strength to face his accusers with the sublime testimony: He "whom ye crucified, Jesus Christ, is the only name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (See Acts 4:10, 12.) Only a comparatively well-to-do man, making a fairly good living by fishing of whom the world would never have heard had he not been inspired by a testimony of the divine mission of the Man of Galilee--just a humble fisherman, who, by the light of that inspiration to him and to other members of the Twelve, and disciples, "many of the world's loveliest things have been created, many of the world's finest minds inspired." Another good example is Paul, a contemporary of Peter, whose early life and teachings were entirely different from those of the fisherman, but who, when the vision of the Risen Lord pierced his prejudiced mind, was inspired throughout the remainder of his days by one guiding thought expressed on the occasion of his great vision: "Lord, what wouldst thou have me do?" Paul, as Peter, had his hours of discouragement. Pride sometimes perturbed him, and conformity to church authority was occasionally difficult. He, too, was mobbed, beaten, and imprisoned, put in stocks in a dungeon, but the heavenly vision of the Risen Lord ever guided his footsteps. EXAMPLE OF JOSEPH SMITH May I remind you also of the Prophet Joseph Smith, who declared: ". . . I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did in reality speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true; and while they were persecuting me, reviling me, and speaking all manner of evil against me falsely for so saying, I was led to say in my heart: Why persecute me for telling the truth? I have actually seen a vision; and who am I that I can withstand God, or why does the world think to make me deny what I have actually seen? For I had seen a vision; I knew it, and I knew God knew it, and I could not deny it, neither dared I do it; at least I knew that by so doing I would offend God, and come under condemnation." (P. of G. P., Writings of Joseph Smith, 2:25.) Through railings, scoffings, mobbings, arrests, imprisonments, persecutions that led to martyrdom, Joseph Smith as Peter and Paul before him, ever strove to the utmost of his ability to follow the light that had made him a "partaker of the divine nature." INFLUENCE OF SAVIOR'S MISSION I quote these three outstanding leaders in the realm of religion to show how the assurance of the divine mission of our Lord and Savior not only transformed their personal lives to a greater or less degree, but also influenced for good the entire world. Since man's first advent on earth, God has been urging him to rise above the selfish, groveling life of the purely animal existence into the higher, more spiritual realm. After several thousand years of struggling, mankind even now but dimly recognizes the fact that the greatest of the world's leaders are those who most nearly approach the teachings of the Man of Galilee. This is psychologically sound, because the thoughts a man harbors determine the realm in which he serves. "Be not deceived," writes Paul to the Galations, "God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting." (Galatians 6:7-8.) GREAT WORLD DRAMA At the moment there is being enacted a great world drama, the final act of which we can only dimly surmise. In Korea, one of the bloodiest wars of modern times is raging. But here is a singular thing. Engaged in it are soldiers from South Korea, United States, Great Britain, France, Turkey, Greece, Netherlands, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Thailand, the Philippines, South Africa, and one or two other nations--all enlisted under the United Nations' banner. Political relationships leading up to their fighting as an international army need not concern us this morning, but there is one significant fact most worthy of attention: Battling for the same cause are Buddhists, followers of Confucius, Moslems, and Christians. Opposed to these are Communists, openly avowed to be anti-Christ. Two hundred twenty-nine thousand casualties are already reported in this conflict! It would almost seem to be the beginning of the great battle of Armageddon. More destructive to the spreading of Christian principles in the minds, particularly of the youth, than battleships, submarines, or even bombs, is the sowing of false ideals by the enemy. Particularly, during the last five years Communist Russia has gained for the time being conquests over the satellites under her domination, including China, and is now threatening Japan by sowing seeds of mistrust in the body politic. Misrepresentation, false, propaganda, innuendoes soon sprout into poisonous weeds, and before long the people find themselves victims of a pollution that has robbed them of their individual liberty and enslaved them to a group of political gangsters. Let us draw a lesson from this. THOUGHTS DETERMINE DESTINY So it is with evil thoughts that may be permitted insidiously to enter and to find lodgment in the human mind. Thoughts harbored determine destiny. "My spirit," says the Christ, "will not dwell in unclean tabernacles." The corruption that is in the world through lust, as mentioned in one of Peter's epistles, has its source in thoughts and schemes harbored in the individual mind. A man who takes advantage of his neighbor in a business deal when the opportunity offers has prepared himself for the occasion by dishonest thinking. Young couples do not lose their chastity, named by the Book of Mormon as "precious above all things" without their having previously in thought justified the act. The husband who coolly turns from a loyal wife and family and seeks illicit relationships elsewhere, perhaps with a disloyal wife of a neighbor, has previously poisoned his soul with immoral ideas. Disgruntled members of society, faultfinders in wards and stakes, do not become such merely because of some offense, real or imagined. What they say and do have been preceded by selfish desires or unattained ambition. CORRUPTION FROM WITHIN I mentioned Communism in its war against individual liberty and free enterprise as surreptitiously sowing poisonous seeds within the body politic. It is also from within, morally speaking, that our cities become corrupt, not from outward, open assaults on virtue, but from insidious, corrupt actions of trusted individuals. Our government, as you know, has recently uncovered a gambling ring that covers a twenty billion dollar business in vice. Many large cities in the United States are connected with it and contaminated by it. Too many of these city officials license darkened rooms wherein men and women, and not infrequently teenage boys and girls, may guzzle beer and whiskey and indulge in other vices sought by persons of low ideals. For the permission and perpetuation of such dens of iniquity in our cities, the public is not entirely free from blame. However, those who are elected to office --commissioners, peace officers, trusted servants of the people--are most directly responsible. Generally speaking, these men are honest in their intentions and actions to enforce the laws and if possible to eradicate, at least to reduce to a minimum, the evils upon which the underworld thrives. One or two, or a half a dozen unprincipled men, however, can frustrate the most earnest efforts of the upright officials. For example, officers informed that minors are permitted to enter a certain "joint" will find when they get to the place that the proprietor has been "tipped off" and seemingly everything is within the law. If and when appreciation for such "tips-off," and other favors, is expressed in secretive payments of money, those participating in the graft may meet in a room, a club, or in a private residence, ostensibly to play a social game of poker and under this guise divide their ill-gotten gains. Thus do our cities, as individuals, become corrupt from within. Such exploitation of the poor unfortunates whose thoughts and desires lead them only to gratify their appetites, indulge their passions to exist by deceit, cunning, and crime, are among the corruptions that Peter says "are in the world through lust." Let us always remember that, "There is no vice so great but we can kill and conquer it if we but will." CHRIST OUR IDEAL Christ came to redeem the world from sin. He came with love in his heart for every individual, with redemption and possibility for regeneration for all. By choosing him as our ideal, we create within ourselves a desire to be like him, to have fellowship with him. We perceive life as it should be and as it may be. The chief apostle Peter, the indefatigable Paul, the Prophet Joseph Smith, and other true followers of the Risen Lord recognized in him the Savior of the individual, for did he not say, "This is my work and my glory--to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man?"--not the sacrificing of the individual for the perpetuation of the socialistic or communistic state. Members of the Church of Christ are under obligation to make the sinless Son of Man their ideal--the one perfect being who ever walked the earth. Sublimest Example of Nobility God-like in nature Perfect in his love Our Redeemer Our Savior The immaculate Son of our Eternal Father The Light, the Life, the Way I know he lives and his power is potent: that he is the Son of God, and that he has restored in this dispensation the complete plan of salvation. God bless us all that we may hold him as our ideal and pray for power to be like him, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. April 9, 1951 Solemn Assembly President David O. McKay President David O. McKay: Before proceeding further with the exercises of this session, I am prompted to say a word in answer to a question which undoubtedly is in every one of your minds. Particularly to those not members of the Church, and to members of the Church as well, may I call attention to the policy of the Church with regard to choosing of counselors. A PRESIDENT NAMES HIS COUNSELORS When a President is chosen and sustained (that includes the president of the Aaronic Priesthood who is the Bishop of a Ward, also Presidents of quorums or superintendents or presidents of auxiliaries) it is the practice of the Church to let the president name his counselors. Anticipating that the Council of the Twelve would grant to me that same privilege, I thoughtfully and prayerfully considered what two men would be most helpful and most contributive to the advancement of the Church. The impression came, I am sure, directly from Him whose Church this is, and who presides over it, that the two counselors whom you have this day approved should be the other members of the quorum of the First Presidency. Both are members of the Council of the Twelve, though counselors might have been chosen from High Priests outside that presiding body. I chose these two members from the Council of the Twelve--two men with whom I have labored closely for many years, whose worth, whose ability I know. I have been associated with Elder Richards directly in Church affairs and in presiding positions for over thirty years. I have been associated with President Clark in two quorums of the First Presidency for over sixteen years. With these and other facts in mind, the question arose as to the order they should occupy in this new quorum. Each man I love. Each man is capable in his particular lines, and particularly with respect to the welfare and advancement of the Kingdom of God. SENIORITY IN THE COUNCIL OF TWELVE I realized that there would be a question in the minds of some as to which one of the two should be chosen as first counselor. That question resolved itself in my mind first as to the order of precedence, seniority in the Council of the Twelve Apostles. That should make no difference according to the practice of the Church, because members of the Council had heretofore been chosen irrespective of the position a member occupied in the Council of the Twelve. And, as I have already said, high Priests have been chosen even as first counselors who were not members of the Council. I felt that one guiding principle in this choice would be to follow the seniority in the Council. These two men were sitting in their places in that presiding body in the Church, and I felt impressed that it would be advisable to continue that same seniority in the new quorum of the First Presidency. I repeat, not as an established policy, but because it seemed advisable in view of my close relationship to these two choice leaders. TWO COUNSELORS COORDINATE Now I mention this because we do not want any member in this Church, nor any man or woman listening in to harbor the thought for a moment that there has been any rift between the two counselors who sustained President Smith in the Quorum of the First Presidency, and President Grant for the years that we were together with that inspired leader. Neither should you feel that there is any demotion. President Clark is a wonderful servant. You have had demonstrated here this morning his ability in carrying out details, and he is just that efficient in everything pertaining to the work. You should understand further, that in the counselorship of the Quorum of the First Presidency these two men are coordinate in authority, in love, and confidence, in freedom to make suggestions, and recommendations, and in their responsibility not only to the Quorum but also to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the people generally. They are two great men. I love them both, and say God bless them, and give you the assurance that there will be harmony and love and confidence in the Quorum of the First Presidency as you have sustained them today. April 9, 1951 Solemn Assembly President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY My beloved fellow workers, brethren and sisters: I wish it were within my power of expression to let you know just what my true feelings are on this momentous occasion. I would wish that you might look into my heart and see there for yourselves just what those feelings are. RESPONSIBILITY OF LEADERSHIP It is just one week ago today that the realization came to me that this responsibility of leadership would probably fall upon my shoulders. I received word that President George Albert Smith had taken a turn for the worse, and that the doctor thought the end was not far off. I hastened to his bedside, and with his weeping daughters, son, and other kinfolk, I entered his sickroom. For the first time, he failed to recognize me. Then I had to accept the realization that the Lord had chosen not to answer our pleadings as we would have had them answered, and that he was going to take him home to himself. Thankfully, he rallied again later in the day. Several days preceding that visit, as President Clark and I were considering problems of import pertaining to the Church, he, ever solicitous of the welfare of the Church and of my feelings, would say, "The responsibility will be yours to make this decision," but each time I would refuse to face what to him seemed a reality. NEED FOR SUPPORT When that reality came, as I tell you, I was deeply moved. And I am today, and pray that I may, even though inadequately, be able to tell you how weighty this responsibility seems. The Lord has said that the three presiding high priests chosen by the body appointed and ordained to this office of presidency, are to be "upheld by the confidence, faith, and prayer of the Church." No one can preside over this Church without first being in tune with the head of the Church, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. He is our head. This is his Church. Without his divine guidance and constant inspiration, we cannot succeed. With his guidance, with his inspiration, we cannot fail. Next to that as a sustaining potent power, comes the confidence, faith, prayers, and united support of the Church. I pledge to you that I shall do my best so to live as to merit the companionship of the Holy Spirit, and pray here in your presence that my counselors and I may indeed be "partakers of the divine spirit." SPIRIT OF UNITY Next to that, unitedly we plead with you for a continuation of your love and confidence as you have expressed it today. From you members of the Twelve, we ask for that love and sympathy expressed in our sacred Council. From the Assistants to the Twelve the Patriarch, the First Council of the Seventy, the Presiding Bishopric, we ask that the spirit of unity expressed so fervently by our Lord and Savior when he was saying good-by to the Twelve, may be manifest by us all. You remember he said, as he left them: "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are." "Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; "That they all may be one: as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me." (John 17:11, 20-21.) Brethren and sisters, brethren of the General Authorities, God keep us as one, overlooking weaknesses we may see, keeping an eye single to the glory of God and the advancement of his work. HELP OF MEMBERSHIP And now to the members of the Church: We all need your help, your faith and prayers, not your adverse criticisms, but your help. You can do that in prayer if you cannot reach us in person. The potency of those prayers throughout the Church came to me yesterday when I received a letter from a neighbor in my old home town. He was milking his cows when the word came over his radio which he has in his barn that President Smith had passed. He sensed what that would mean to his former fellow-townsman, and he left his barn and went to the house and told his wife. Immediately they called their little children, and there in that humble home, suspending their activities, they knelt down as a family and offered prayer. The significance of that scene I leave for you to understand. Multiply that by a hundred thousand, two hundred thousand, half a million homes, and see the power in the unity and prayers, and the sustaining influence in the body of the Church. Today you have by your vote placed upon us the greatest responsibility, as well as the greatest honor, that lies within your power to bestow as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. Your doing so increases the duty of the First Presidency to render service to the people. EXAMPLE OF SERVICE When the Savior was about to leave his Apostles, he gave them a great example of service. You remember he girded himself with a towel and washed his disciples' feet. Peter, feeling it was a menial work for a servant, said, ". . . dost thou wash my feet? . . . Thou shalt never wash my feet." The Savior answered "If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me." "Nay then," said the chief Apostle, "Not my feet only, but also my hands and my head." "He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit. "What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter." (See John 13:6, 8-10, 7.) And then he washed his feet, and those of the others also. Returning the basin to the side of the door, ungirding himself, and putting on his robe, he returned to his position with the Twelve, and said: "Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. "If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet." (Ibid., 13:13-14.) What an example of service to those great servants, followers of the Christ! He that is greatest among you, let him be least. So we sense the obligation to be of greater service to the membership of the Church, to devote our lives to the advancement of the kingdom of God on earth. BLESSING AND TESTIMONY God bless you, brothers and sisters. May the spirit of this occasion remain in our hearts. May it be felt throughout the uttermost parts of the earth, wherever there is a branch in all the world, that that spirit might be a unifying power in increasing the testimony of the divinity of this work, that it may grow in its influence for good in the establishment of peace throughout the world. I bear you my testimony that the head of this Church is our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I know the reality of his existence, of his willingness to guide and direct all who serve him. I know he restored, with his Father, to the Prophet Joseph Smith the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness. I know that these brethren whom you have sustained today are men of God. I love them. Don't you think anything else. God's will has been done. May we have increased power to be true to the responsibilities that the Lord and you have placed upon us, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 5, 1951 General Conference PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY My brethren and sisters, in behalf of the General Authorities and in humility I bid you welcome, you who are here assembled in such large numbers, filling this historic Tabernacle to capacity, and also the tens of thousands who are listening in by radio and television. I pray for your help and assistance, and especially for the inspiration of the Lord, that we may sense his presence, and that everyone who is called upon to take any part in this conference may be guided by his inspiring influence. It is with mingled feelings of joy and satisfaction, encouragement, anxiety, and apprehension, that I stand before you this morning. GROWTH AND PROGRESS OF CHURCH I rejoice in the continued growth and progress of the Church. It is a great source of satisfaction to the General Authorities, and I am sure it will be to you, to know that from all parts of the world where the gospel is being preached, reports show substantial advancement in nearly every line of endeavor. The stakes and wards are growing in number, as also are the organized branches in the missions--in the Americas, Europe, and in the islands of the Pacific. There are more houses of worship in the Church today than ever before in its history, and at the present time there are 420 buildings under construction. Temple ordinances performed since January 1,1951 to August 31,1951 exceed those for the corresponding period last year in all temples excepting one, and there is a slight decrease there, but the decrease is explainable. That is in Hawaii. Notwithstanding this great building program and the other work being carried on in which ward members contribute fifty percent and missions and branches twenty and thirty percent of the cost of construction, tithes and offerings are steadily and consistently increasing. UPRIGHTNESS OF SERVICEMEN Because of the call to military duty the number of missionaries in the field is not so large as one year ago. The missionaries are returning and reporting for military duty by the scores every month. Reports of uprightness in the lives of these returned missionaries indicate that by example they will still continue to be good missionaries while serving their country. I think I shall take time to give you just an extract from one of these reports. A letter dated September 4, 1951 from a major says this: "This is quite a group we have, With the exception of two fellows it is made up entirely of returned missionaries. This morning we all ate together in the enlisted men's mess hall, and not a single one of them had coffee, even though boiling pitchers full were set at each table. I noticed a peculiar look on the mess sergeant's face as he scratched his head in bewilderment when thirty-two soldiers all took milk." It is only a little incident, but it speaks volumes for the loyalty of our missionaries who are entering the service in their determination to maintain the standards of the Church. God bless them! SUBVERSIVE TEACHINGS All these and other favorable incidents and reports give cause for satisfaction and gratitude, but as I said, there are other things which give rise to feelings of apprehension. For example, the prevalence of pernicious ideas and subversive teachings which pervert the minds of the unstable and uninformed, and in some cases divert the youth from Church standards. In this regard there is reason for concern, too. The quorums of the priesthood and the auxiliaries, and especially the parents, may not be doing all that they should to counteract these poisonous influences. Religious leaders, civic officers, and all lovers of law and order are today deeply concerned, and not without justification, about the recklessness and lawlessness of youth. Even young folk themselves are deprecating the disobedience of parental authority manifested by some of their companions. It is a dangerous sign, brethren, when home discipline breaks down, and the loving advice of a wise father and a loving mother is defied. We are told by an elderly American explorer that among the Iroquois Indians "the crime which is regarded as most horrible, and which is without example, is that a son should be rebellious toward his mother"--an ideal that might be well cherished today among men who esteem themselves high in the scale of civilization. MESSAGE TO YOUTH Our country's most precious possession is not our vast acres of range land supporting flocks and herds; not productive farms- not our forests; not our mines nor oil wells producing fabulous wealth--our country's greatest resource is our children, our young men and women whose characters will largely determine our nation's future. If it were possible for me this morning to speak directly to the young men and women of the Church, I would say that you should always remember that true joy of life is found, not in physical indulgence and excesses, but in clean living and high thinking; in rendering to others, not inconvenience, injury, or pain, but encouragement, cheer, and helpfulness. This is simply saying to them that satisfaction in daily life is found in trying to keep the simple law, "Do unto others as you would have others do unto you." Right actions toward others always bring joy; wrongful deeds result in pain, and not infrequently, remorse. OBEDIENCE BRINGS BLESSINGS Conformity to the Lord's word or law will invariably contribute to man's happiness and salvation. Those who do not what the Lord commands, we are told, will be subjected to justice and judgment. In other words, there is eternally operative in the moral world a law of compensation and retribution--compensation commensurate with conformity to law; retribution in actual degree to the extent of disobedience. In this sense I use the word law as having a deeper significance than a rule or dictum prescribed by authority for human actions. It means, rather, ''a uniform order of sequence" as operative and unvarying as the law of the inclined plane, or the law of falling bodies. Confirmation of this may be found in the Lord's statement to Cain, the first disobedient son in history. "If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door." ( Gen. 4: 7. ) It is also stated by the Prophet Joseph Smith, "There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated. "And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." (D. & C. 130:20-21.) It is said, parents, boys, and girls, that "the soul in the formative period of youth, while it is yet unspotted from the world, may be likened to a block of pure, uncut Parian marble, in which lie boundless possibilities of beauty or of deformity. From the crude marble one will chisel a form of exquisite grace and symmetry; another, a misshapen monstrosity, each visualizing in the formless stone the conception of his brain. Thus we are molded by our ideals." NEED FOR RIGHT THINKING Thoughts are the seeds of acts, and precede them. Mere compliance with the word of the Lord, without a corresponding inward desire, will avail but little. Indeed, such outward actions and pretending phrases may disclose hypocrisy, a sin that Jesus most vehemently condemned. "O generation of vipers," he exclaimed, "how can ye, being evil, speak good things?" ( Matt. 12:34. ) The Savior's constant desire and effort were to implant in the mind right thoughts, pure motives, noble ideals, knowing full well that right words and actions would eventually follow. He taught what modern physiology and psychology confirm, that hate, jealousy, and other evil passions destroy a man's physical vigor and efficiency. "They pervert his mental perceptions and render him incapable of resisting the temptation to commit acts of violence. They undermine his moral health. By insidious stages they transform the man who cherishes them into a criminal." EXAMPLE FROM CHARLES DICKENS Charles Dickens makes impressive use of this fact in his immortal story, Oliver Twist, wherein Monks is introduced first as an innocent, beautiful child; but as "ending his life as a mass of solid bestiality, a mere chunk of fleshed iniquity. It was thinking upon vice and vulgarity, that transformed the angel's face into the countenance of a demon. That great writer says this: "It is almost impossible to believe that such a devilish nature as Bill Sikes, depicted in the same book, could be found in human form," but Dickens says: "I fear there are in the world some insensible and callous natures that do become, at last, utterly and irredeemably bad. But whether this be true or not, of one thing I am certain--that there are such men as Sikes, who, being closely followed through the same space of time, and through the same current of circumstances, would not give by one look or action for a moment the faintest indication of a better nature. Whether every gentler human feeling is dead within such bosoms, or the proper chord to strike has rusted and is hard to find, I do not know, but the fact is so, I am sure." I am trying to emphasize that each one is the architect of his own fate, and he is unfortunate, indeed, who will try to build himself without the inspiration of God, without realizing that he, grows from within. not from without. THE GREAT STONE FACE I have mentioned these negative things, but I call attention of the youth to the story of The Great Stone Face by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Ernest one day said to his mother, as they sat looking at an immense rock in which nature had chiseled a man's face with noble features, and an expression, to quote Hawthorne, "at once grand and sweet, as if it were the glow of a vast, warm heart that embraced all mankind in its affections and had room for more--" "Mother," said Ernest, if I were to see a man with such a face, I should love him dearly." She answered, "If a prophecy come true, we may see him some time or other with exactly a face like that." That face, as you know, was finally depicted in the countenance of Ernest himself. Having lived a life in which he had constantly kept before himself the vision splendid, there was chiseled in his own countenance the benign features of the great image. What a man continually thinks about determines his actions in times of opportunity and stress. A man's reaction to his appetites and impulses when they are aroused gives the measure of that man's character. In these reactions are revealed the man's power to govern or his forced servility to yield. DISOBEDIENCE BRINGS RETRIBUTION No man can disobey the word of God and not suffer for so doing. No sin, however secret, can escape retribution. True, you may lie and not be detected: you may violate virtue without its being known by any who could scandalize you, yet you cannot escape the judgment that follows such transgression. The lie is lodged in the recesses of your mind, and impairment of your character will be reflected sometime, somehow in your countenance or bearing. Your moral turpitude, though only you, your accomplice, and God may ever know it, will some day canker your soul. "The more I know intimately the lives of other men, to say nothing of my own," said Huxley in a letter to Charles Kingsley, "the more obvious it is to me that the wicked does not flourish nor is the righteous punished. "The ledger of the Almighty is strictly kept, and every one of us has the balance of his operations paid over to him at the end of every minute of his existence. The absolute justice of the system of things is as clear to me as any scientific fact. The gravitation of sin to sorrow is as certain as that of the earth to the sun, and more so, for experimental proof of the fact is within the reach of us all, nay, is before us all our lives, if we had but the eyes to see it." Associate with that the saying in the Book of Mormon, "Sin is never happiness." ( See Alma 41:10.) Man is endowed with appetites and passions for the preservation of his life and the perpetuation of his kind. These, when held under proper subjection, contribute to his happiness and comfort; but when used for mere gratification, lead to misery and moral degradation. PROSTITUTION OF LOVE Associated with these natural instincts, young folk, is a sin that always seeks seclusion. It is the prostitution of love, the noblest attribute of the soul. God has instituted marriage and the family as the proper condition of expressing in our lives this divine virtue. But sometimes men and women with low ideals and weakened wills permit their passions, like unbridled steeds, to dash aside judgment and self-restraint, and to cause them to commit sin that may sear their conscience and leave in their hearts an everlasting regret. In this day when modesty is thrust into the background, and chastity is considered an outmoded virtue, I appeal to you to keep your souls unmarred and unsullied from this sin, the consequence of which will smite and haunt you intimately until your conscience is seared and your character sordid. A chaste, not a profligate life is the source of virile manhood, the crown of beautiful womanhood, the contributing source of harmony and happiness in family life, and the source of strength and perpetuity of the race. Remember, too, the significance of the Savior's saying that if any shall commit adultery even in his or her heart, he shall not have the Spirit, but shall deny the faith and shall fear. Resist evil, and the tempter will flee from you. If you keep your character above reproach, no matter what others may think, or what charges they make, you can hold your head erect, keep your heart light, and face the world undauntedly because you, yourself, and your God know that you have kept your soul untarnished. The only thing which places man above the beasts of the field is his possession of spiritual gifts. Man's earthly existence is but a test as to whether he will concentrate his efforts, his mind, his soul upon things which contribute to the comfort and gratification of his physical instincts and passions, or whether he will make as his life's end and purpose the acquisition of spiritual qualities. FACTORS IN INFLUENCING YOUTH I said we had a little apprehension that quorums and auxiliaries were not doing all possible to guide youth along these lines. In the Church we have two great divisions: first, organized stakes, composed of wards and other groups--quorums and auxiliaries; second, the missions, divided into branches in which are also, to a limited degree, quorums and auxiliaries. These groups should become greater factors in influencing youth. Consider for a moment what the quorums might do, if the presidency of each quorum, the leaders of each group, and the members would wield influence upon their fellows as the Lord intends they should. The quorum is an essential part of the Lord's plan for rendering mutual aid. No other organization in the world is so effectively organized into working groups as the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints; for example, there are today approximately 137,000 men holding the Melchizedek Priesthood, men inspired with the same ideals and similar hopes, bound by a solemn duty to help one another to secure economic as well as spiritual aid and comfort There are also approximately 57,000 men under twenty-one years of age, associated together in the Aaronic Priesthood. There are 57,000 others holding the Aaronic Priesthood, or a total of 114,000 in the Aaronic Priesthood. What a mighty force for good these quorums would be if the spiritual welfare of each member and his obligation to the Church were considered the special duty of each presiding officer! That is a possibility of achievement. All others not enrolled in quorums should be enlisted in the auxiliaries, and the whereabouts and attitude toward the Church of each one known by at least some teacher or officer. THE HOME But even more potent in influencing child life is the home. Upon the parents the Lord has directly placed the responsibility of teaching their children. I wish this paragraph could be written and put on the wall of every home in the Church: ". . . inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the Living God, and of baptism and of the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents. (D. & C. 68:25.) The character of a child is formed largely during the first twelve years of his life. It is estimated that in that period a child spends approximately 3200 hours in school; 416 hours in Sunday School and Church: but 52,500 hours in the home, not counting twelve hours a day for sleep. In other words, he spends sixteen times as many waking hours in the home as in the school, and 126 times as many hours in the home as in the Church! Thus, "In the homes of America are born the children of America, and from them go out into American life American men and women. They go out with the stamp of these homes upon them, and only as these homes are what they should be, will children be what they should be." I shall not take time to quote all Luther Burbank said about the training of children as he trained plants, but he says the use of an influence over and over again is necessary, keeping everlastingly at it. This is what fixes traits in plants, the constant repetition of an influence until at last it is irrevocably fixed and will not change. "Parents, you cannot afford," he says, "to get discouraged. You are dealing with something far more precious than any plant, the precious soul of a child. Parents who do not know where their children are at night are recreant to the sacred obligation of parenthood, and untrue to the high ideals of the Church regarding home life. Do not say now in your minds that that is impossible. Just go back to your own homes and the care that you know your father and mother had regarding you. UNDERMINING FORCES I must not elaborate upon this further, but I wish to mention another condition that gives cause for concern and apprehension, and that is the insidious influences, as well as the blatant heralding of ideas that undermine century-tried principles of peace, of justice, and of advancement toward the day of universal brotherhood. We are grieved when we see or hear men and women, some of whom even profess membership in the Church, looking with favor upon the pernicious teachings of these groups, especially Communism. These credulous, misguided persons claim to be advocates of peace, and accuse those who oppose them as advocates of war. They should remember that all of us should ever keep in mind that there are some eternal principles more precious than peace dearer than life itself. Our revolutionary fathers sensed this, and their innermost feelings were expressed in the words of Patrick Henry: "Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at the price of chains and slavery?" Free agency, for example, is a divine gift, more precious than peace, more to be desired even than life. Any nation, any organized group of individuals that would deprive man of this heritage should be denounced by all liberty-loving persons. Associated with this fundamental principle is the right of individual initiative, the right to worship how, where, or what one pleases, and the simple privilege to leave a country, if one choose, without having to skulk out as a culprit at the risk of being shot and killed. At heart Communism is atheistic, and Fascism is equally antagonistic to freedom and to other Christian principles--even denying the divinity of Jesus Christ, and the existence of God. NEED FOR INTEGRITY Today there is a great need in the world for men of integrity, men of honor, men whose words are as good as their bond, leaders of nations who will consider international agreements sacred. The philosopher Thoreau said, "It matters not half so much what kind of ballot you drop into the ballot box once a year, as what kind of man you drop out of bed into the streets every morning . " Man's greatest need is real conversion to the eternal truths of the gospel--to the truth that Jesus Christ came to give life and light to the human family. I feel that with all my soul, and so do you fellow workers who sit before me. Recently, a group of friends presented one of their number with a valuable, practical gift. In accepting it, the man said that wherever he might travel, the possession of that gift would be a constant reminder of his friends' affection and regard. Brethren and sisters, all life is a gift of God. Appreciation of that fact should inspire us with a desire to live daily exemplary lives, that others, seeing our good deeds might be led to, glorify our Father in heaven, of whose existence and inspiration I testify before you this morning, and of the divinity of whose Church I bear testimony, in the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer. Amen. October 6, 1951 General Priesthood Meeting President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY My esteemed fellow workers in the Priesthood: My heart is filled with gratitude tonight, as it has been throughout this conference, for the knowledge I am sure we all have that God is with this people. That expression of brotherhood, love, just given by Brother Stephen L. Richards is akin, indeed it is identical with the spirit that prompted the Apostle of old to say, "I know that I have passed from death unto life because I love the brethren." That is the sublime feeling which every member holding the Priesthood may experience if he will do his duty and live uprightly before the Lord. UNBECOMING GAMES I have in mind only one or two items to give at the conclusion of this impressive conference. One that I mention by way of caution is that in your carnivals that you hold in order to raise money for building purposes, you avoid those games which are unbecoming, or that will cast in any way reflection upon our young girls or men who hold the Priesthood. We know the difficulties that you have to raise fifty per cent of the cost of these edifices, and we commend you highly, and our sisters, for the effort you put forth But there are some games which are carried on in carnivals outside the Church which are unbecoming the recreation furnished by the Church officers. One I will name is a feature in which young Beehive Girls come out in public in bathing suits, sit on a spring board before young men who throw balls to hit a certain spot which will loosen the spring-board, and cause the young girl to drop into a tank of water. I have seen colored and white men do that for so much money, but let us not have our young girls do it, nor men who hold the leadership in the Priesthood. FELLOWSHIP IN THE PRIESTHOOD Now, there are three other items which I will name, just briefly I hope, and I will illustrate each by practical experiences. The first is the value of companionship in quorums, already mentioned by my counselors. One of the most pleasing experiences of this great conference was meeting a bishop who came to the stand and said, "I am here with some of my deacons, whom I should like to have the privilege of meeting you." A true leader accompanying his quorum boys to conference! Fellowship in the Priesthood! If we can get the bishops to fellowship the priests in every ward, and in some way, at opportunities favorable, meet those young men and young women of corresponding age in some social or groups or meetings, and win their admiration and confidence, we can avoid some unpleasant things which are occurring in our towns. For those priests and girls determine largely the moral atmosphere of your town. You bishops are the leaders. Your counselors can aid you in associating with the teachers and the deacons. This companionship applies also to Elders. There are many ways in which we can get these indifferent elders together without inviting them to do things which are difficult. Some of them do not like to pray. They hesitate about standing in public to preach, and some of them would rather go fishing or playing golf on Sunday than attend meeting. But, not one of those indifferent elders will refuse an invitation, for example, to come to a funeral of one of the townsfolk, or one of their members, or of one of their members' wives, and if you will come as a quorum and sit together as a quorum, there is one means of fellowship. Our High Priests are doing it more than Seventies or Elders. I have attended a number of funerals where I have seen reserved seats for High Priests, in paying respect to a departed brother. There is group fellowship. Again these indifferent men will come to your quorum socials. Make those socials of a high order, and thus you will come in personal contact with them. We must be mutually helpful. This world would not exist if it were not for the mutual aid we give one another from the time we are born until we are laid away. REVERENCE A second principle to which I wish to refer is reverence. I have spoken upon this several times, and intend to continue to speak upon it, because I look upon reverence as one of the highest qualities of the soul. An irreverent man is not a believing man. I think a man cannot testify of his knowledge of the existence of God and take God's name in vain. He can do it by words, but as the old king in "Hamlet," his words will fly up, but his thoughts remain below. I was deeply impressed with the lesson that President George Q. Morris taught his missionaries in the Sacred Grove. They have an entrance there now, a sort of fence and a gate leading into the sacred spot, where they hold the service. There as you enter the gate is a sign, "Quiet Please." I wish everybody in the Church could experience that quiet attitude of several hundred missionaries in that Sacred Grove, and as soon as the Amen of the benediction was given, these elders retired without consultation, without shaking hands, to the outside part of the grove. In our meeting houses today we have reverence just as soon as the hour comes for worship, but in Sunday Schools particularly, at the change of classes there is a hub-bub. That is not educative to our children. They have done away with the marching we used to have when I was in the Sunday School work in Weber. They now think it undignified for older persons to march. Well, Superintendents, you may do this, at least--when you separate for class work, let a class rise and pass out to the room, and then another class follow, without this careless, sometimes boisterous attitude of everybody's mingling and talking as he goes to his class. Reverence indicates high culture, and true faith in deity and in his righteousness. KINDNESS TO ANIMALS The third is kindness. The first line in what is now known as the "Psalm of Love" is this: "Love suffereth long and is kind." A true Latter-day Saint is kind to animals, is kind to every created thing, for God has created all. He is right, the author of the "Ancient Mariner" when he deplores the killing of the albatross, when he wrote these lines: "He prayeth best who loveth best all things both great and small, For the dear God who loveth us, he made and loveth all." I am mentioning this because I have seen, in my travels, such cruelty in the world, particularly in the Near East. I was touched with the treatment that those people gave, and probably now give the humble little donkey. Every caravan is led by that poor, humble creature, carrying a heavier load than his own weight, it seemed sometimes. Often the driver, the leader of those camels, if he became weary would climb on top of the load the donkey was carrying. As you drive along those highways, on the roads you would see the carcasses of the donkeys that walked and carried, struggled and staggered until they fell. They were unloaded and left for their bones to bleach on the side of the highway. Camels, if a bit obstreperous, would have steel prongs piercing the sides of their jaws. If they happened to pull back, the clamp would close and those prongs penetrate not only the skin but the flesh as well. However, we need not go to the Near East to see cruelty to animals. We see it around here if we but open our eyes. It is a good thing to teach our boys to be kind. A man who was working for me once on the farm came home about sundown, and said, "I have just killed a porcupine over there." "I said, "Why did you kill it?" "Oh," he said, "just for fun." And I said, "Did you kill it or is it over there suffering?" "Oh, I killed it." Well, I wondered, so I just took time to cross those two creeks and go over to the little hill. He had not killed it. The poor creature was just stunned, its head was beaten, and he was struggling. What fun can there be in treating dumb animals in that cruel way! KINDNESS TO WIVES But I mention this now, because I think we are cruel to our wives. I have here two letters, one anonymous, another signed by a woman. They are asking "What shall we do? Our husbands are cruel to us." Says one, "My husband has a terrible temper. He comes home and scolds the children. He is cruel to me. At first he seemed to be a good, loving husband, but when my first baby was born, then was born my troubles." Brother Bowen is aiding greatly in taking care of appeals for cancellations of sealings. I am grieved, brethren, I say "I" because the responsibility of canceling those sealings rests upon the one who holds that key. I am grieved indeed to note in those appeals the number of instances which indicate that some husbands treat their wives cruelly. I cannot imagine a man's being cruel to a woman. I cannot imagine her so conducting herself as to merit such treatment. Perhaps there are women in the world who exasperate their husbands but no man is justified in resorting to physical force or in exploding his feelings in profanity. There are men, undoubtedly, in the world who are thus beastly, but no man who holds the Priesthood of God should so debase himself. Some of us are now past the threescore and ten. We can look back over the short life, and it does seem short, and treasure those things which seem most precious. Tonight, one of those things, one of the most precious possessions is my memory of a home in which love was supreme, in which I cannot recall ever a cross word having passed between father and mother. We owe that blessing to our children. "Love suffereth long and is kind." The spirit of kindness is as enduring as love itself. Let us go home, and if we have been cruel, either by treating our wives with indifference, or by scolding, or loud talking, if we have been cruel to our children by neglect, or by striking them, let us see if we cannot repent and look introspectively and see whether or not we are not to blame for some of the conditions that arouse these passions. CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCE Now, brethren, I wish to bear you a testimony which I think I have never before given in public. Since childhood it has been very easy for me to believe in the reality of the visions of the Prophet Joseph Smith. What I am going to say may seem very simple to you, but to me it is a heart petal. When a very young child in the home of my youth, I was fearful at night. I traced it back to a vivid dream in which two Indians came into the yard. I ran to the house for protection, and one of them shot an arrow and hit me in the back. Only a dream, but I felt that blow, and I was very much frightened, for in the dream they entered, one a tall one, and a smaller one, and sneered and frightened mother. I never got over it. Adding to that were the fears of mother, for when father was away with the herd or on some mission, mother would never retire without looking under the bed, so burglars or men who might enter the house and try to take advantage of mother and the young children were real to me. Whatever the conditions, I was very much frightened. One night I could not sleep, and I fancied I heard noises around the house. Mother was away in another room. Thomas E. by my side was sleeping soundly. I became terribly wrought in my feeling, and I decided to pray as my parents had taught me. I thought I could pray only by getting out of bed and kneeling, and that was a terrible test. But I did finally bring myself to get out of bed and kneel and pray to God to protect mother and the family. And a voice as clearly to me as mine is to you, said, "Don't be afraid. Nothing will hurt you." Where it came from, what it was, I am not saying. You may judge. To me it was a direct answer, and there came an assurance that I should never be hurt in bed at night. EASY TO BELIEVE I say it has been easy for me to understand and believe the reality of the visions of the Prophet Joseph. It was easy for me in youth to accept his vision, the appearance of God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ to the boy praying. I thought of nothing else. Of course that is real. It was easy for me to believe that Moroni came to him there in the room. Heavenly beings were real from my babyhood on, and as years came those impressions strengthened by reason and strengthened by the inspiration of God directly to my soul. I know that those visions were real, and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and when we say this it means that I know that Jesus lives, that Christ is our Redeemer and that this is his Church. We are merely his representatives. When we accept that, then the reality of God the Father, Father of our spirits, is easy to accept. These things being real, brethren, we cannot do anything else but try our utmost to do what Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, asks us to do, for he has given us the Gospel that bears his name, and in the words of Peter, "There is none other name given under heaven whereby we must be saved." God bless you. With all my heart I bless you, and pray that peace and love and kindness will abide not only in your hearts, but in your homes, that your wives, our wives and our children may have memories sweet of a home in which God was pleased to dwell. May this be our lot, our experience, throughout the Church in all the world, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 7, 1951 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY My brethren and sisters, the time draws near for the closing of this, the one hundred and twenty second semi-annual conference of the Church. APPRECIATION EXPRESSED Whenever we receive a favor or a gift, the least we can do is to express appreciation by saying "thank you." Very often those words seem very feeble in expressing the feeling we have of a favor bestowed. In your behalf I should like to say "thank you" to groups, perhaps some individuals, who have conferred favors upon us since last Friday morning. I hesitate about naming persons, because undoubtedly in so doing we may miss others who equally merit our appreciation. First, I wish again to express appreciation of the service rendered by our Singing Mothers. Just their presence, I repeat, was an inspiration. I wish to commend Sister Madsen upon her ability to train that choral group so ably in attack, expression, interpretation, and those mothers for having taken the time to practice in their various wards and at least once or twice as a group. The Lord bless them for the service they rendered in this conference! I wish to mention also in appreciation the men's chorus of the Tabernacle choir under the leadership of J. Spencer Cornwall, for the inspirational numbers they gave us last evening in that memorable priesthood meeting. And of course, we must not close the conference without expressing appreciation to the Tabernacle choir, its leader, assistant, to the organists, and to every member. That singing group has attained, through merit, outstanding recognition as one of the great choral organizations of the world. They merit the gratitude of all members of this Church. I do not know of another choir in the world that gives so much time and means, financially, in their service, as the members of this choral group. In your behalf, I thank them with all our hearts for their unselfish devotion and continual attention to this great duty. I wish to express appreciation to KSL and the specialists who have given us such efficient service, and to the other stations in this state and surrounding states, that have graciously given us of their time. On one or two occasions, as you know, we have run overtime, but this red signal has continued, undoubtedly at great financial cost. We thank these stations, one and all. I should like to say a word of appreciation to the ushers in the Tabernacle, to the caretakers on the Tabernacle block and on the Church Office grounds--ushers and laborers under the direction of Irvin T. Nelson, Brother Marble, and other able overseers. You do not see them at work, as some of us do, but you see the results of their labors in these beautiful grounds, and if you would happen to be at the Church Office some morning before seven o'clock, you would see one of these brethren already at work, and if you were to say to him, "Well, you are early," he would say, "Yes, I always come early because I want all this lawn to be well sprinkled before the brethren come to their offices." TRUE NOBILITY To them and to all faithful workers I should like to repeat in appreciation one of the two choicest poems that Edgar A. Guest has written: "Who does his task from day to day And meets whatever comes his way, Believing God has willed it so, Has found true greatness here below. "Who guards his post, no matter where Believing God must need him there, Although but lowly toil it be Has risen to nobility. "For great and low there's but one test: 'Tis that each man shall do his best. Who works with all the strength he can Shall never die in debt to man. --"True Nobility," Edgar A. Guest (Used by permission of the author. Copyright, Detroit Free Press.) The Lord bless these workers, one and all! I wish to express appreciation to the presidencies of priesthood quorums, and especially to the bishops who have come to this conference with groups of their lesser priesthood. I mentioned one case last evening. At the conclusion of that priesthood meeting, a bishop met us with two of his quorums of deacons. I commend that fellowship. On our way home today Sister McKay commented upon the number of young people in attendance at conference, and I said, "That is a good sign." If we can get some of the boys under the influence of the bishoprics, boys who perhaps have unfortunately come from broken homes, or more unfortunately, homes in which God does not dwell, we shall save souls here at home equally as precious as those whom we are seeking out in the world. Continue in that good work. We express appreciation also to the sisters and to all who are laboring in the auxiliaries--in the Relief Society, the Sunday School, the Young Men's and Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association, and in the Primary. Time will not permit to elaborate, but these general boards and stake boards and the officers and teachers on the firing line are rendering to you parents and to the Church generally a wonderful service. God will reward them. EXPERIENCE OF PAUL In conclusion, may I call attention to the experience that Paul had just as he neared Damascus with papers in his pocket to arrest all who believed in Jesus Christ. A light suddenly shone about him, and he heard a voice saying, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" And he said, "Who art thou, Lord?" The answer came, "I am Jesus, whom thou persecutest. It is hard for thee to kick against the pricks." Saul said, "What wilt thou have me do?" The voice answered, "Go into the city, and it will be told thee what thou must do." (See Acts 9:4-6.) There are two elements in that incident, commenting briefly upon which I will close my remarks. The first is that the Savior recognized his authority on earth. He could, in a few words, have told Saul what he should do, but there was a branch of the Church in Damascus, presided over by a humble man named Ananias, and Jesus recognized that authority. He knew Saul's nature. He knew that in the future it would be difficult for him to recognize the authority of the Church, as instances later proved. He said, "Go into the city, and there it will be told thee what thou must do," and Saul had to receive from the very man whom he was going to arrest instructions regarding the gospel of Jesus Christ. There is a lesson for us all in this Church. Let us, too, recognize the local authority. The bishop may be a humble man. Some of you may think you are superior to him, but he is given authority direct from our Father in heaven. Recognize it. Seek his advice, the advice of your stake presidents. If they cannot answer your difficulties or your problems, they will write to others, the General Authorities, and get the advice needed. Recognition of authority is an important principle. DIVINE INTEREST IN CHURCH The other element in that incident to Paul near Damascus is the great fact that Jesus, our Lord, is interested in his Church, and in the members. As he was interested then, so he is interested today. I like to feel that he is watching over us, that he is grieved when we do not comply with the ideals and the standards he has given us in the gospel. He was grieved with Saul, a chosen servant, who was going about blindly to destroy the Church. He is delighted when he finds the brethren whom he has appointed doing their duty and trying to live clean, upright lives, living in accordance with the standards of the gospel. I like to feel that his servants whom he has chosen in this dispensation are also interested and I hope that President George Albert Smith, who was with us not long ago, is pleased with what we have done during the last six months. I am sure he is pleased with the setting apart of the temple site in Los Angeles because I know that was an enterprise that was dear to his heart. I like to feel that President Heber J. Grant is near us, ready to help, especially pleased to see that the Church is growing. And President Joseph F. Smith, President Lorenzo Snow, President Wilford Woodruff--those men, I have met--President Woodruff, in our home, closely associated with President Smith, and as you know, with President Grant and President George Albert Smith. I like to think that President John Taylor is equally interested, also President Young, and especially the Prophet Joseph. The work over on the other side is real, and the curtain sometimes between us and them is very thin. I hope the Lord will help us to go forward as these, his former representatives, would like us to go forward, that we shall always realize, as has been said once or twice in this conference, that this is the Church of Jesus Christ, who is our head. Now let us go back to our homes with that testimony. IMPORTANCE OF THE HOME Among the many great messages that we have received I should just like to emphasize two: One, of course, is the home. Thirteen thousand men of the priesthood were here last night. Every one should go back to his home and look around and see wherein he can make it more ideally a Latter-day Saint home. One day a young son, just married, invited his father to visit him and his bride in their new home. The young son took the father from room to room and showed him the furnishings, the paintings on the walls and so forth, and the father said, "This is lovely. I congratulate you, but, son, I have looked in vain for anything that indicates that you have a place here for God." In writing about it later, the young man said, "I went through the rooms later, and I found that Father was right." Let us go back to our homes and see whether the spirit of our homes is such that if an angel called, he would be pleased to remain. PRIESTHOOD ACTIVITY The other great message is for the priesthood quorums to be more active, to reach out and get the indifferent, approaching them personally, and, as has already been said, "Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy." (D. & C. 121:43.) The Prophet Joseph Smith could not have written that of his own wisdom. That is one of the great flashes of inspiration that prove his divinity. LOYALTY TO COUNTRY Finally, let us be true to our country and to our country's ideals. Nearly three thousand years ago an ancient prophet said that this is a land choice above all other lands, and it is, and the government of the United States as given to us by our fathers is the real government under which individuals may exercise free agency, individual initiative. Oh, let us oppose any subversive influence that would deprive us of our individual freedom or make this government a dictator instead of a servant to the people. Time is up. In conclusion I repeat the words of the Lord, "Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence. "He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand." (D. & C. 107:98 9.) God help us all, that we may live more nearly to the ideals of our Savior as revealed in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, I pray in the name of the Redeemer. Amen. April 4, 1952 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY It is truly a joy to meet with you, my brethren and sisters. Another six months have passed since the Church met in general conference. How the time flies! There is an old hymn, now unpublished, which could be sung appropriately: How swift the months have passed away, 'Tis conference again. And Zion's untold thousands come To swell the joyful strain. A seat occupied six months ago is vacant this morning--a voice valiant and vigorous then in defense of the restored gospel is silent today. We miss Dr. Joseph F. Merrill, member of the Council of the Twelve, and make loving reference to his noble character and distinguished service. And now, my dear fellow workers, it is with mingled feelings of gratitude, satisfaction, and apprehension that I greet members of the Church assembled in this opening session of the 122nd Annual Conference. GRATITUDE We are grateful for the blessings of the Lord to his Church in all the world, and for the assurance of his divine guidance and inspiration. With deep gratitude we acknowledge in your presence, his nearness and his goodness; and in that spirit of prayerful appreciation proclaim that our souls respond in harmony with the spirit of a glorious vision given to the Prophet Joseph Smith: "Hear, O ye heavens, and give ear, O earth, and rejoice ye inhabitants thereof, for the Lord is God, and beside him there is no savior. "Great is his wisdom, marvelous are his ways, and the extent of his doings none can find out. "His purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand. "From eternity to eternity he is the same, and his years never fail." (D. & C. 76: 1-4.) ENCOURAGEMENT JUSTIFIED It is a source of real encouragement to contemplate the loyalty and energetic efforts of the priesthood of the Church including of course the General Authorities, stake and ward officers, presidencies of missions, missionaries, officers, and members of branches throughout the world. I believe I can say in truth that the standard of efficiency in missions and in organized stakes has never been so high. A hasty glance at what quorums and auxiliaries have achieved during the past year will confirm this. FIRST: QUORUMS OF THE PRIESTHOOD According to reports that have been received, the Melchizedek Priesthood of the Church (and that includes all worthy adult members) is showing an increase in the number who pay a full tithing, who observe the Sabbath day, who attend sacrament meetings, and who hold regular family prayers. l here has also been an increase in the average attendance at weekly priesthood meetings. In a five-year period (1947-51) the following increase is shown: 1947 1951 High Priests 46% 48% Seventies 39% 44% Elders 18% 20% In participation in all phases of the Church program, the following marked increase is shown in the same five-year period: 1947 1951 High Priests 67% 91% Seventies 54% 89% Elders 31% 70% SECOND: RELIEF SOCIETY A memorandum from Sister Belle S. Spafford, president of the Relief Society indicates that there has been an increase in membership in that organization of from 126,550 in 1950 to 132,451 in 1951, or an increase of 5,901. Teachers have made 2,055,803 visits-an increase of 145,141 over last year. Visits to sick and homebound--193,558, or an increase of 11,200 over last year. Choruses of the Relief Society Singing Mothers are increasing, thus furnishing the sisters with an opportunity for spiritual expression through choral singing. THIRD: SUNDAY SCHOOL The general board of the Deseret Sunday School Union has been emphasizing during the year 1951 the importance of proper spiritual teaching in our Sunday Schools. As a result there has been a notable increase in teacher training classes and enrolled teacher trainees over the previous year. Reports indicate an increase of 67% in the number of classes held, and an increase of 13% in number of trainees. Better order and more reverence in opening exercises and in class work has been a most commendable aim. Enlistment, or Sunday School missionary work, has been stressed. There has been an increase of 12% in the enrolment. The average attendance at Sunday Schools has increased 13%. It is estimated that about one-third of the entire membership of the Church now participate in Sunday School. FOURTH: Y.M.M.I.A. In the 183 stakes, 10 missions reporting, including 1,638 wards and branches, the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association reports a total membership of 104,383, with an average attendance of 53%. In participation in joint Y.M. and Y.W.M.I.A. stake recreational activities there has been an increase. Departments averaged an increase of 20% to 50%, the greatest increase coming in the M Men-Gleaner and Scout-Beehive Departments. The general board of Y.M.M.I.A. is endeavoring to have every boy in the ward attend M.l.A. regularly, with a result that the enrolment has grown from 81,253 four years ago to 104,383 this last year. FIFTH: Y.W.M.I.A. The Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association had an enrolment in 1951 of 110,095 as compared with 105,309 the previous year. In December 1949, there was an all-over Church average for the girls 12 to 19 years of age of 48% attendance at sacrament meetings. This is a very commendable feature. Also 61% attended Sunday School, and 59% M.l.A. In December 1951, the average had increased to 53% at sacrament meetings; 63% at Sunday School; and 64% at M.I.A. This substantial increase shows a great spiritual growth, for it means that our girls are attending more Church meetings and hence gaining a greater knowledge of the gospel. SIXTH: PRIMARY ASSOCIATION Last year marked the completion of the Primary Children's Hospital, the dedicatory service having been held on March 2 of this year. A most commendable project for 1951-52 stressed four phases of reverence for boys and girls. I will read those: 1. We will act as we should in our Heavenly Father's house. 2. We will greet our friends quietly. 3. We will not take the name of the Lord in vain. 4. We will respect those chosen by our Heavenly Father to lead us. Another very commendable feature is the "Kindness to Animals Club" being sponsored by The Children's Friend. I commend that to your attention, especially when we sense the reports that we have had recently regarding some sadist young boys who have been going around with "22's" shooting, just for mere sport, the starving deer. GENEALOGICAL SOCIETY In 1951 there were 31,726 persons who undertook research through the books of the library, and approximately 13,000 individuals who used the records in the Archives Department. At the close of 1951 there were sixteen million cards in the Index Bureau files. The records of two hundred thousand separate family units were examined at the Index Bureau. A total of between twenty-five and thirty million pages of records were placed in the files of the microfilm library during the year 1951, and a total of 2,334,058 lineal feet of film were developed in the laboratory in Salt Lake City during 1951. These are just a few highlights giving cause for satisfaction. There is a general response, as the figures and reports indicate, on the part of the people of the Church everywhere. The responsibilities they carry, the undertakings that they adopt and employ to raise 50% of the cost of their houses of worship are most remarkable. I think I will give you an instance. Last February a meeting of all the presidents of the stakes of southern California was held. President Waite and his associates and the committee presented to those brethren a suggested plan whereby the stakes and wards of that region might raise a million dollars to assist in the construction of the Los Angeles Temple. Three weeks later, as the First Presidency sat at the table in their regular daily meeting, they read a telegram that came that morning from President Russon of the Los Angeles Stake, stating "We have already canvassed the wards in our stake, and they have subscribed 256% of their quota." And while we were reading that, the telephone rang and President Waite of the South Los Angeles Stake at the other end said, "I thought you would like to know that the Los Angeles Stake has gone over the top 256%. We were a week later starting our canvass in the South Los Angeles Stake, so we have reached only 10% of the people, but we have 90% of the quota subscribed from the 10%." Last evening the presidents from those stakes met with the First Presidency and reported $1,666,000.00 subscribed, and more subscriptions coming in. Now that is indicative of the spirit that animates the members of the Church in their efforts to further the interest of establishing the kingdom of God. Well, we commend you and bless you, and God will bless you. CAUSES OF APPREHENSION But now, brethren and sisters, we have cause for apprehension. I refer to the efforts to deprive man of his free agency--to steal from the individual his liberty. Next to life itself free agency is the greatest gift of God to man. The two most important documents affecting the destiny of America are the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States. Both these immortal papers relate primarily to the freedom of the individual. Founded upon that principle of free enterprise fostered by these documents, the United States of America in less than two centuries has achieved a greatness that exceeds that of any other country in the world. The deep concern of every loyal citizen regarding this threatened loss of our freedom has been well expressed by a Mr. Fred G. Clark, Chairman of the American Economic Foundation, wherein he expresses the fear that the code of the people is replacing the code of God. Here are his own words. I shall tell you when I end the quotation: "The American giant towers over the world in its physical strength greater than that of all the rest of the nations put together. "But something is wrong with America. "At this high moment of history when the task of world leadership has been thrust upon us, we stand confused, reluctant, hesitant, and ineffectual. "We are no longer certain what we stand for, and this, I believe, is because we have forgotten the circumstances surrounding the birth of our nation.... "For decades it has been popular in America for the cynical intellectuals to sneer and scoff at what we call the traditions of Americanism. "The instruments of this sabotage were words and thoughts--plausible half-truths, sly appeals to that spark of larceny that lurks in every human heart, subtle suggestions of an atheistic nature, and the careful nurturing of a patronizing attitude toward everything America has held to be fine and sacred. "The people who planted these words and thoughts may have been either stupid or vicious, fools or foreign agents, smart-alecs, or smart organizers. "What they were does not now matter: the thing that does matter is to counteract what they have done. "Everybody in every position of leadership has to get into this act because the damage has affected every phase of our life. "The places in which this sabotage occurred were the schools, the churches, the communist-dominated labor halls, the lecture platforms, the motion pictures, the stage, the pages of our newspapers and magazines, and the radio. Every means of communication has been utilized against us.... "The man (or nation) who has a plan--a way of life--in which he believes, has mental security. "To destroy this security, one must destroy that man's faith in his plan. "Reliance on a code of life which, if held in common with one's fellow men, brings peace of mind, develops the abilities of the group.... "The degree to which the American code of life has been weakened can best be demonstrated by simply calling attention to the degree to which the foundation of that code has been weakened. "Many people become self-conscious when discussing this foundation: I am not one of those people. "That foundation (and of this there cannot be the slightest shadow of a doubt) is made up of the Ten Commandments and the Golden Rule. "Within this moral code, we have a complete way of life. "Acceptance of these precepts takes care of every phase of human life-- spiritual, political, social, and economic. . . "America was a nation of people who had faith in their political and economic systems because they had faith in God and had built those systems around the teachings of God. "Every collectivist from Karl Marx to Stalin has agreed that faith in God must be destroyed before socialism can take over. "Therefore, it was obvious that the problem of sabotaging America's faith in America was the problem of transferring the people's faith in God to faith in the State. "That thing called morality in politics, business, and private contracts, had to be broken down. "To an increasing extent the people have come to look upon morality as an old-fashioned superstition. "Religion has for many church members become a safe way of dying rather than a good way of living." I commend his entire speech, from which I have taken these extracts. Add to this threatening upset in national standards the increasing tendency to abandon ideals that constitute the foundation of the American home, and you will agree with me that there is cause for apprehension. Now what shall we do about it? That concerns us. When Paul was a prisoner in Rome, he sent a letter to Timothy, saying in substance: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. "For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; "And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables." (2 Timothy 4:2-4.) It is as important today as when Paul wrote that farewell message to Timothy that officers and teachers in the Church "preach the word; be instant--that is, eager, earnest--in season and out of season." Today, in the midst of the world's perplexity, there should be no question in the mind of any true Latter-day Saint as to what we shall preach. The answer is as clear as the noonday sun in a cloudless sky. In the year 1830, there was given to the people of this land and of the world, a divine plan whereby individuals can find security and peace of mind and live in harmonious accord with their fellow beings. In all man's theories and experiments since history began, human intelligence has never devised a system which, when applied to the needs of humanity, can even approach this plan in effectiveness. In simple words, then, this is the Word which we should preach--the gospel plan of salvation. FAITH IN GOD The founders of this great republic had faith in the economic and political welfare of this country because they had faith in God. Today it is not uncommon to note an apologetic attitude on the part of men when they refer to the need of God governing in the affairs of men. Indeed, as has already been said, the success of communism depends largely upon the substitution of the belief in God by belief in the supremacy of the state. Preach in season and out of season belief in God the Eternal Father, in his Son Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. Bear witness that "God and the unseen world," to quote a leading thinker, "are not mere objects of surmise.... Religion standing on the known experience of the race makes one bold and glorious affirmation. She asserts that this power that makes for truth, for beauty, and for goodness is not less personal than we. This leap of faith is justified because God cannot be less than the greatest of his works.... When, therefore, we call God personal we have interpreted him by the loftiest symbol we have. He may be infinitely more. He cannot be less. When we call God a spirit, we use the clearest lens we have to look at the infinite." (Charles Dinsmore of Yale.) Second: Latter-day Saints proclaim that fundamental in this gospel plan is the sacredness of the individual, that God's work and glory is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." Under this concept, it is a great imposition, if indeed not a crime, for any government, any labor union, or any other organization to deny a man the right to speak, to worship, and to work. Third: Preach that the plan involves the belief that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man. Man was not born for the benefit of the state. Preach that no government can exist in peace, and I quote from the Doctrine and Covenants, except such laws are framed and held inviolate, as will secure to each individual the "free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life." Fourth: Preach the sacredness of family ties--the perpetuation of the family as the cornerstone of society. Fifth: Proclaim the necessity of honesty and loyalty, doing an honest day's work for an honest day's pay. Preach that honesty in government is essential to the perpetuation and stability of our government as it is necessary to the stability of character in the individual. "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men.... If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." To summarize: Let us be instant in season, and out of season, declaring that a kind and loving Heavenly Father is as ready and eager today as ever to bless and to guide all his children who will sincerely seek him, and I bear you witness to that truth. Proclaim that his Beloved Son, the Redeemer and Savior of mankind, stands at the head of his Church that bears his name--that he guides and inspires those who are authorized to represent him here on earth--authorized by the priesthood when heavenly messengers bestowed upon the Prophet Joseph Smith and others associated with him divine authority. Preach that the responsibility of declaring this plan of life, this way of life, this plan of salvation rests upon the entire membership of the Church but most particularly upon those who have been ordained to the priesthood and who have been called as leaders and servants of the people. To them today, as Paul said to Timothy, we give the admonition: "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine." In Zion let God's name be praised Who has a feast prepared, The glorious gospel standard raised The ancient faith restored. Swift heralds, the glad news to bear O'er land and ocean fly; And to the wondering world disclose The message from on high. God give us power to fulfil this destiny of the Church, and to perform our duties, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. April 5, 1952, General Priesthood Meeting President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY As nearly as can be estimated or counted, there are in the Tabernacle tonight 9,486 members of the Priesthood, on the grounds, 3,848, in the Assembly Hall, 2,285, in the Barratt Hall 1,150, making a total in attendance at this Priesthood Meeting on this April night, of 16,769. To stand in your midst, to partake of what I feel is the spirit of unity, stirs one's soul with emotion, and 16,769 men have said tonight, "I will go where you want me to go, dear Lord, over mountain or plain or sea. I will say what you want me to say, dear Lord, I will be what you want me to be." Another line impressibly sung by this Chorus, is this "There may be somewhere in the paths of sin, some wanderer whom I should seek." -A few years ago there appeared in one of our magazines, the story of a little lad that wandered from his mother's lap in the Badlands of the Dakotas and was lost. As night came on the mother was distracted and the neighbors alarmed. The next morning, on the public square of the town near there, the sheriff met a group of farmers, teachers, office men, citizens of all ranks. He organized them for a systematic search. Before they started out he said "Little Ronald," (I have forgotten his name, it is years since I have thought of it) "is somewhere out in those Badlands. We must organize and search every bush, every crevasse, every water hole. We must not come back without that little boy. Pray God that we are not yet too late." They started out that Thursday morning, and at about three o'clock in the afternoon a mighty shout went up. They had found the boy. Brethren, a few years ago you received a letter, you bishops, stating that a committee had been appointed by the Council of the Twelve, to look after some of our girls who had wandered into the "Badlands" of the city. They did not intend to get caught in the meshes of sin, but they had wandered from home, and the protecting influence of home surroundings. You were asked if you would not kindly send the names and the addresses of those girls who came away from your town, to this committee, just so that members of this committee could see that they became associated with some ward, with some young people here of good reputation, and in some cases, in all cases if possible, could find suitable employment. Later, you were asked from this pulpit if you would not please give closer attention to that phase of salvation of our youth. Only a few, comparatively speaking, have responded to that call. Well, if they were lost, and faced physical death, you would not hesitate, the whole town would not hesitate to go out and rescue the lost girl or the lost boy. I want to tell you, from direct reports from our police officers who cooperate, in several instances some of these fine girls have suffered things worse than death. Now we ask you tonight, once again, please to send the names of those girls who legitimately, who unknowing what awaits them, some of them, leave their home and come to Salt Lake or Ogden or Provo, or some center, seeking employment, seeking to better themselves. Please cooperate with this committee, or enable this committee to cooperate with you, so that these choice young people may not be ensnared by vicious men who lie in wait, not only to deceive, but to ruin. Now, be careful, if the parents are sending them in, that you do not offend those parents, that is not necessary. This is merely a means of cooperating with parents in helping young people to start out from home to better their conditions. Brother Spencer W. Kimball and Brother Mark E. Petersen constitute that committee, and you may correspond with them at any time. Now this, of course, should be the last time that we should make an earnest appeal for your cooperation. There is another matter to which I wish to refer. It is not very savory, but it is a condition that is giving us great concern, and that is the increasing number of divorces among Latter-day Saints, whereas here in the United States it is just a common thing. But brethren, we know what marriage is what it should be, how sacred the marriage bond is; we know what it means to live a chaste life by men, as well as by women. Chastity is a standard of the Church; and it worries us deeply to see the large accumulation of applications for cancellations of the sealing ordinance. Indeed, they have become so numerous that we have had to appeal for help. As you know, there is but one who can cancel that, and if all his time were taken, that is, if he had to scrutinize every application as it should be, all his time would be taken for that one responsibility. I wish here to acknowledge in your presence the able assistance of Elder Albert E. Bowen of the Council of the Twelve. He has been called because we believe that every case deserves very careful and prayerful consideration. Brother Bowen is a man, as you know of clear mind, sound judgment; he is an experienced jurist, he has had years of experience in dealing with cases such as are coming before us, and best of all, he is a true, conscientious servant of the Lord. With his able assistance, careful attention is being given to each case, but he has been shocked, as I have been with what some of these applications disclose. I am going to venture to enter into home life. I would rather enter into it as it should be, rather than what it sometimes is. But we find that the following conditions seem to be contributive to the separation of husband and wife, and the breaking up of the home: Unfaithfulness on the part of either or both. (do you know what that means those of you who have been through the temple?) --drunkenness, physical violence; in some cases imprisonment has brought disgrace to the family; the union of an innocent girl to a reprobate; some cases disclosed sordid, licentious, brutal actions of covetous men. I know you think those are harsh words but you can read in some of these applications reports of treatment that has wrung women's hearts with anguish. I know that the woman is to blame in some cases, and particularly young women who married young boys in a hurry when the first World War broke out.--I know that, but we are speaking to men tonight, and let us, as men, take the blame. May I now, suggest that we unite for just a few minutes as bishops, presidents of stakes, as fathers, and as young men in prospective marriage to consider some things that will avoid the breaking up of the family, that will avoid this breaking of women's hearts, this turning out of children from what should be loving homes, or throwing them entirely upon the responsibility of mothers. Let us instruct young people who come to us, first, young men throughout the Church, to know that a woman should be queen of her own body. The marriage covenant does not give the man the right to enslave her, or to abuse her, or to use her merely for the gratification of his passion. Your marriage ceremony does not give you that right. Second, let them remember that gentleness and consideration after the ceremony is just as appropriate and necessary and beautiful as gentleness and consideration before the wedding. Third, let us realize that manhood is not undermined by the practicing of continence, notwithstanding what some psychiatrists claim. Chastity is the crown of beautiful womanhood, and self-control is the source of true manhood, if you will know it, not indulgence. Sexual indulgence whets the passion, and creates morbid desire. Let us teach our young men to enter into matrimony with the idea that each will be just as courteous, and considerate of a wife after the ceremony as during courtship. And we have the ideal in this Church I hope, today as ever, that a young man keep himself clean and pure during his courtship days, so that he can kneel at the altar and give just the same purity of life to that sweet girl as he exacts from her. I submit to you seventeen thousand men, that that is a glorious ideal. I know the world thinks we cannot live it, but you and I know that we can and do so live. Fourth, minimize the faults, commend virtues. After the first thrill of the honeymoon is worn off, couples begin to see frailties, idiosyncrasies which they had not noticed before. Responsibilities of motherhood come to the woman. Difficulties in paying debts come. And so we become prone to find fault. Let us learn to control ourselves in that respect. I do not know who wrote this, but it is good advice: "In the first solitary hour after the ceremony, take the bridegroom and demand a solemn vow of him (this is to the girl) and give a vow in return, promise each other sacredly never, not even in jest, to wrangle with each other, never to bandy words, or indulge in the least ill-humor. Never-- I say, never! Wrangling in jest, putting on an air of ill-humor, merely to tease, becomes earnest by practice. Mark that! Next, promise each other, sincerely and solemnly, never to keep a secret from each other, under whatever pretext, and whatever excuse it might be. You must continually, and every moment, see clearly into each other's bosom. Even when one of you has committed a fault, wait not an instant, but confess it. And as you keep nothing from each other, so, on the contrary, preserve the privacies of your house, marriage state, and heart, from father, mother, brother sister, aunt, and from all the world. You two, with God's help, build your own quiet world. Every third or fourth one you draw into it with you will form a party, and stand between you two. That should never be. Promise this to each other. Remember the vow at each temptation. You will find your account in it. Your souls will grow, as it were, to each other, and at last will become as one. Ah, if many a pair had, on their marriage-day, known the secret, how many a marriage were happier than, alas, they are!" I regard it as an incontrovertible fact that in no marriage circle can true peace, love, purity, chastity, and happiness be found, in which is not present the spirit of Christ, and the daily, hourly striving after loving obedience to his divine commands, and especially, the nightly prayer expressing gratitude for blessings received. God help us to build homes in which the spirit of heaven on earth may be experienced. You and I know that that is possible, it is not a dream, it is not a theory. We may have that sweet companionship between husband and wife which grows dearer and dearer as the troubles of life come on. We can have homes in which children will never hear father and mother wrangle or quarrel. God help us as men of the Priesthood, to build such homes, and to teach our young men and young women who are anticipating home life, to cherish such an ideal, I humbly pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. April 6, 1952 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY Harold B. Lee of the Council of the Twelve has just spoken to us. His address marks the last of a series of addresses given during this conference by the General Authorities of the Church, all of whom you have heard excepting Elder Stayner Richards who is presiding over the British Mission. Elder Romney, as you know, gave the Church of the Air address this morning. Thus comes to a close a great conference, another glorious opportunity that the Church has had of meeting together, making new resolutions, receiving timely instructions, and sustaining the Authorities of the Church. The weather has been most propitious. The attitude of the individuals who have assembled in the various gatherings, including the Primary conference, has been hopeful, promising, eager; that of the congregations, most responsive. The messages of the General Authorities have all been timely and inspirational; the cooperation of the city officials, ready and efficient. The assistance rendered by the various radio stations here in our own city, in Idaho, Colorado, Oregon, Nevada, Arizona, and Mexico, has been the means of permitting tens of thousands of people to hear the proceedings of this the 122nd Annual General Conference of the Church. To all we extend words of appreciation, heartfelt expressions of gratitude, for all combined to make this a most memorable occasion. To our singers, the Brigham Young University chorus of young people, to our own Tabernacle Choir, we again express our thanks. What a glorious opportunity we have had in listening to these two great organizations. To our choir, I believe I will express not only your gratitude but also that of the entire city and of the state, for the Salt Lake Tabernacle Choir is now an institution, not just an organization, appreciated by every member of the Church, and I think by every fair-minded citizen of our glorious state. God bless them, and those young people who came up from the Brigham Young University to sing at the opening sessions of conference. I have much in my heart to say to you, but I will conclude by calling your attention to the words of a very practical servant of the Lord who was blessed to labor in the companionship and shadow of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Indeed, I think he is his own brother. James said: "What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him? "If a brother or sister be naked, and destitute of daily food, And one of you say unto them, Depart in peace, be ye warmed and filled; notwithstanding ye give them not those things which are needful to the body; what doth it profit? "Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. "Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works." (James 2:14-18.) As we depart now to go to our various homes, let us make real the good feelings that have been aroused in our souls. Let us not permit to evaporate from our minds and feelings the good resolutions we have formed. First, let us resolve that from now on we are going to be men of higher and more sterling character, more conscious of our own weaknesses, more kind and charitable towards others' failings. Let us resolve that we shall practise more self-control in our homes, control our tempers and our tongues, and control our feelings, that they may not wander beyond the bounds of right and purity, more seeking the presence of God, realizing how dependent we are upon him for success in this life, and particularly for success in the positions we hold in the Church. As we leave this conference, let us not only resolve to be more loyal to our quorums but more devoted to the duties assigned us, one of which is attendance at our quorum meetings, in order to strengthen that group and increase the power of fellowship and brotherhood, more loyal to our country. This is an election year. Upon you devolves the responsibility of choosing our servants in government, for whoever is elected to preside over this country as President, as senators, members of the House of Representatives, are your servants, not your rulers. And do not be slothful on the day of election, but come out and exercise your right and privilege as a citizen of this great republic. What doth it profit though a man say he hath faith not works? Here we should prove ourselves loyal citizens. As we depart, let us be more determined to make beautiful homes, to be kinder husbands, more thoughtful wives, more exemplary to our children, determined that in our homes we are going to have just a little taste of heaven here on this earth. With these resolves in mind, with all my heart I say, fellow workers, God bless you. Cherish in your hearts the testimony of truth, make it as solid and as firm and unwavering as the fixed stars in the heavens. May there come into everyone's heart and in all our homes the true spirit of Christ our Redeemer, whose reality, whose inspiring guidance I know to be real. God bless you, keep you, and magnify you in the eyes of your associates. May he make more powerful than even before in the history of this Church the influence of this divine organization, that its potency may be felt throughout the world, and men's hearts turned to serve him as they have never before been influenced, that we may avert the terrible threatening war, and peace be established among the nations of the world, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 3, 1952 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY Early in June, while sitting with his Brethren of the Council of the Twelve in the regular weekly meeting, Elder A. E. Bowen was suddenly stricken. For several weeks he and his loved ones and his Brethren thought that he was very close to the brink. He has sufficiently recovered to be able to move about in his room, but as previously announced, he is unable to be present with us this morning. He is a great soul, a stalwart leader, a man who possesses a brilliant mind and true nobility of soul. We extend to Brother Bowen this morning the love and confidence of the Church. If he is listening in, we wish him to know that we love him, admire him; he has our united faith and prayers for a complete recovery. We need him. We are sorry that Elder John A. Widtsoe is unable to be with us this morning. We hope that the Lord will bless him sufficiently to join us later in the sessions of this conference. We noted in the prayer offered an appeal for the love of mankind, that we might love one another, and through that love contribute to the establishment of peace. That was the great message heralded by the heavenly hosts at the birth of the Savior, when they declared, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:14.) To proclaim that message to an indifferent world is the divine responsibility of the Church. What greater message could there be? What more commendable effort to supply the greatest need could be put forth? Somewhere I have read that in one of the important institutions of medicine and healing in this country, there hangs this significant sign: "Never say a discouraging word while in this sanitarium." If encouragement is good for the sick and ailing, it is also helpful to those who are normally healthy. As encouragement affects individuals, so it is helpful to organizations, and this morning as I stand before you I have nothing but a wish, a prayer, that we might say something encouraging to the members of the Church of Jesus Christ. I am grateful this morning, as I bid you welcome to this, the one hundred and twenty-third semi-annual conference, that I can give you an encouraging report of conditions in the Church as a whole, and that it is to the best of its ability and resources trying to discharge its obligations in preaching the Restored Gospel. You will be pleased to hear a few items, even though I must mention them but briefly, which justify my saying that the Church is moving steadily forward on its destined course. There are now 195 organized stakes in the Church, an increase of over one hundred percent in the last twenty-five years. There are forty-three missions in the Church, including the new Central American Mission. Since we last met in general conference, there have been approximately thirty-eight new wards and seventeen new branches organized, making a total number of wards and independent branches of 1736. During 1952, up to September 30, there were eighty-four new chapels, dedicated. Before the end of the year there will be fifty-three more ready for dedication, making a total of 137 chapels dedicated or ready for dedication. Besides this, there are 389 chapels in process of construction, fifty of which are in missions. At present, you will be pleased to know that there are, in European missions, Church-owned chapels as follows: British, thirty-nine (you former missionaries to Britain will be pleased to know that); Danish, five; East German six; Finland, ten (after only five years of organization); French, three; Netherlands, eight; Norwegian, three; Swedish, fourteen; Swiss-Austrian, three; West German, eight; making a total of ninety-nine places owned by the Church in the European missions. The Liahona College in Tonga is now completed. The Church sent most of the materials for its erection. Local people did much of the work and did not charge a shilling for their labor. The Church sent a supervisor, a plumbing supervisor, and an electrician. The Pesega School in Samoa is nearing completion. The Mesepa School on the island of Tutuila in Samoa will soon be under construction. The money for it is already appropriated. We contemplate building fifteen chapels in American and British Samoa in the near future. Plans are now being drawn for the New Zealand College of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which will replace the Maori College, which was destroyed by an earthquake in 1932. Money has been appropriated for construction of five chapels in New Zealand. One is now being completed in Auckland, one in Glenn Huon, Tasmania, where the members are cutting their own timber and doing a good deal of the work themselves. The Church owns two acres in Rarotonga, and money is already appropriated for a new chapel on those islands. It was only recently that the mission was opened in Rarotonga, under New Zealand, however. A building is also under construction at Ipswich, Australia. All these buildings, with the Los Angeles Temple now under construction, the Relief Society building, announced yesterday, mission expenses, ward and stake expenses, require the expenditure of vast sums of money furnished by the tithes of the Church. To your credit and blessing, be it said that the tithes of the people this year are 21.7 percent higher than last year, and last year exceeded the year before. Fast offerings also show an even greater percent of increase. Missionaries--September 30, 1952, there were in the foreign missionary fields, 3854 missionaries. There were 5525 in the stakes of Zion, making a total of 9379 missionaries. That number speaks volumes in praise of the young men and young women, and particularly of the fathers and mothers, in their interest in the great mission of the Church to proclaim the message of peace and good will to all peoples of the world. In addition to this, there were in the state of Utah, September 25, 1952, with a Church population of 488,863--9379 Latter-day Saint boys in the military service, or 1.9 percent of the total Church population of the state, as compared with 1.3 percent of the total nonmember population of the state, or .6 of 1 percent more Latter-day Saint boys, as based upon our total population, than for non-members. These figures should assuage the rabidness of some-prejudiced agitators who have falsely accused our young men of not discharging their share of the responsibilities of the military activity of our government. In one agricultural town I know, with a population of fewer than 700, ten young men are in the mission field, and forty-five in the Armed Forces of our country. To you loyal members whose unselfish labors have contributed to this favorable progress of the Church, we can say, as in Hebrews, that God will not " . . . forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister." (Hebrews 6:10.) In keeping with this theme of encouragement, brief reference to some incidents connected with our recent tour of the European missions may not be amiss. On May 29, 1952, accompanied by Sister McKay, our son David L. as secretary, and Mildred, his wife, I left for an important mission to Europe. The details of that special mission pertaining to temples, I shall probably have to postpone until the general annual conference in April. Further than what has already been announced, I think we cannot further comment this morning. It is marvelous how much closer in time modern transportation has brought the nations of the earth; for example, Sunday, June 1, at 6:30 in the evening, we left New York. Owing to unfavorable weather conditions the plane landed at Sydney, Newfoundland, instead of at Gander, and did not leave for Glasgow until Monday, 1:30 a.m. After fifteen hours of actual flying time we were at Prestwich Airport, in Ayrshire, Scotland, and later that same evening, Monday, we participated in the dedication of the first chapel owned by the Church in Scotland. Wednesday, the evening following, we dedicated another in Edinburgh, and there is a suitable place in Aberdeen now ready for dedication. For these and other chapels in Great Britain much credit is due to Elder Stayner Richards, who, with his associates, has manifested wisdom and economy. If I followed my inclinations, I would pause here long enough to tell you of my feelings upon returning to Scotland after twenty-nine years, my latest visit, and after fifty-four years since I labored there as a young, unmarried missionary. What a flood of memories filled my soul as a Mrs. O'Hara, living in the apartment, graciously showed Sister McKay, two elders, and me the old 52 Holmhead St., headquarters of the Scottish Conference fifty-four years ago! I should also like to tell you how humbly grateful, and with what a mellow heart later I stood with Ray by my side in the little bedroom in Wales in which Jeannette Evans, my sainted mother, was born over a hundred years ago! But these are personal experiences, of little or no interest to you members. Beginning at the meetings in Scotland, we carried your love and greetings to the approximately 40,000 members of the Church in the ten missions in the nine European countries. June 2 to July 4, they met us in Europe to receive your greetings. July 26, you met us here to receive their thanks. And, now, this morning, I express again to you in Zion the loving greetings of the Saints in Europe. One impression I received right at first and it became more and more pronounced as we came in contact with people in all walks of life, was a more tolerant attitude than I experienced a half century ago. It was a joy to mingle with intelligent people radiating a spirit of good will. One beneficial result of the tour was a keener realization on the part of members of the Church that they are not detached entities but are in reality part of the Church as a whole. Nearness in time contributed to this feeling; but more especially their meeting one of the Sunday School general superintendency and a member of the general board of the Primary, hearing incidents, items of instructions that happened or were given, as it were, but a week before, awakened a sense of belonging that was satisfying and encouraging. It was truly a joy and inspiration to see the loyalty, feel the responsiveness of members of the Church in every mission. There was no exception. To greet those eagerly expectant, graciously warm-hearted people gave a joy almost inexpressible. We sensed to a small degree, at least, the truth of the saying: "To love and to be loved is the greatest happiness of existence." This was especially true so far as our love for those faithful people is concerned. At the opening of my remarks I said that at the Savior's birth, there were heralded the fundamental virtues that constitute the world's greatest need: first, believing in and glorifying our Father in heaven, and second, peace good will, instead of contention and strife. Here let me emphasize that good will includes benevolence, a virtue that may be experienced by persons in all stations of life. It is "confined to no rank, no degree of education or power; the poor may be benevolent as well as the rich; the unlearned as well as the learned; the weak as well as the strong." Everyone may not be beneficent but all may be benevolent. Good will includes kindness, a virtue everyone can show and one which everyone is pleased to receive. "So many gods, so many creeds, So many paths that wind and wind, While just the art of being kind, Is all the sad world needs." (Ella Wheeler Wilcox.) I should be remiss, indeed downright unappreciative, if I did not take this occasion to refer appreciatively to the instances of good will manifested on this recent presidential tour of the European missions. Our Church knows full well what it means to be misjudged, scoffed at, and persecuted. It can appreciate, too, in full value, tolerance, a sense of justice and fair play. The mission presidencies, missionaries, members of the Church and their friends were most gracious in their greetings and manifestations of deference to the office of President. Everywhere their welcome was most generous. To all these we shall ever be grateful for the distances they traveled, for the sacrifices they made, their wholehearted, radiant gladness--all of which contributed so much to the success of a very important mission. I wish to refer especially to the good will shown by prominent businessmen, representatives of the press, hotel managers, government officials, and others whose interest and courtesy were shown without reserve. It is unwise to attempt to mention a few because of possibly showing partiality, and failing to mention deserving persons, but I will name the Honorable Charles U. Bay, American Ambassador to Norway, who not only by proffered words, "If there is anything I can do for you, please let me know," but by direct action with the assistance of his undersecretary, Leon Cowles, rendered invaluable service in securing rightful privileges for our missionaries in Norway. He said that was his first official act as ambassador. Other ambassadors and ministers, including Hon. John M. Cabot to Finland and Hon. James C. Dunn to Paris, were equally considerate in proffering help and co-operation. Their courtesy was unbounded. Others who did not hesitate to inconvenience themselves to render favors were Colonel Tooler and General Wood of the American Army, through whose graciousness, at the intercession of presidents Stayner Richards and A. Hamer Reiser, special favors were granted to us visitors in attendance at the Queen's Garden Festival at Buckingham Palace. I express appreciatively, also, the service rendered by the Consul General J. D. van Karnebeek, here in the United States, whom we happened to meet before we left, who arranged for a most cordial visit to Her Majesty, Juliana, Queen of the Netherlands. I wish to mention President Juho K. Paasikivi of Finland, a dignified, princely gentleman, conference with whom, accompanied by President Henry A. Matis, I shall remember with satisfaction and pleasure. For exceptional courtesies shown by Mr. Sholz, the manager of the Palace Hotel near The Hague, Holland; to passport officials at Berlin, who, finding us without visas, gave special consideration and, out of courtesy, obtained the necessary papers without delay, we mention with appreciation. We are mindful also of the outstanding consideration shown by eleven policemen who were at the Mercedes Palast, at North Berlin, where an audience of 2600 persons crowded to overcapacity that large theater. How their favorable attitude stood out in contrast with the action of police when some members of the Twelve and others who sit here in this audience this morning were hunted and arrested a half century ago! I wish to name appreciatively, also, Elder William Zimmer, and two real estate men, Mr. Hans Jordi and Mr. Hermann Schulters, who assisted President Samuel E. Bringhurst in choosing prospective temple sites in Switzerland. For his having built suitable houses in Berlin, I wish to commend President Walter Stover, whose devotion to the German Saints, whose generosity and wisdom will ever be cherished by the thousands whom he blessed. Included in this expression of appreciation are officials who aided President James L. Barker and President Golden L. Woolf in their securing official recognition of the Church in France. An outstanding feature of our visit in Germany was the attendance of American servicemen. In the West German Mission they gathered as groups that compared favorably with our groups of missionaries. And how proud we were of these choice young men and women, a credit to their parents, to the Church, and to our nation! Whether they participated in concerts or attended to the details of conference, greeted strangers or looked after the welfare of Saints and investigators, their ability was manifest, their dignity commendable, their sincerity in their work most outstanding. Well, fellow workers, all these and a hundred other instances that I might name are evidences of friendship and good will that will contribute to the peaceful relationships that should exist between this country and the free countries of Europe. I am sorry that I must now sound a note of discouragement, for I cannot refrain from referring to the attitude of selfishness, distrust, and hatred manifest by the leaders of communism. How they hate America, and everything American! They are not only anti-American--they are anti-Christian! By every means possible--newspapers, billboards, documents, radio--they try to inculcate hatred in the hearts of the youth. By the Iron Curtain they scheme to keep Western influence out of Russia and prevent Russians from becoming acquainted with the West. A distinguished sociologist once wrote, note: "Give us the young, and we will create a new mind and a new earth in a single generation." That is one aim and purpose of the Russian dictators. Largely because of their nefarious schemes and false ideologies, civilization is facing a crisis. We are in a period of uncertainty, of international tension. Not infrequently we see manifest among people a feeling of impending crisis in which is fear that the atom bomb might bring to a tragic end present-day civilization. Articles in the daily press and in magazines give unmistakable evidence of this condition. You can pick up any magazine or any daily paper and read such headings as: "Our Democracy in Danger." "Communism--a New Kind of Threat." "Foundations of our Republic Threatened." "The World Cannot Exist Half Slave and Half Free." These are some I have taken at random. "Look at the map of the world," says one. "The Iron Curtain of Soviet communist control has descended over vast areas and over hundreds of millions of people in Eastern Europe and in Asia since the close of World War II. It is unspeakably tragic that this should be the case, when it need not have been." Another: "We Face a Spiritual War." Then, last: "Red China's War Against God." Well, brethren and sisters, let us not despair. A man's comfort in time of ease and peace, as well as in time of stress and danger, will be found in the depths of the sincerity of his belief in an Eternal Being, his faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ. Commenting upon the need of sincerity, of faith, one writer once asked this vital question, and I give it to you: "Is Jesus to you only a legendary figure in history; a saint to be painted in the stained glass of church windows; a sort of sacred fairy not to be approached and hardly to be mentioned by name, or is he still what he was when he was in the flesh--a reality, a man of like passions with ourselves, an elder brother, a guide, a counselor, a comforter, a great voice calling to us out of the past to live nobly, to die bravely, and keep up our courage to the last?" Notwithstanding the threatening conditions that exist in the world today, members of the Church of Jesus Christ need not fear nor be perturbed, if they will but anchor their souls in unchanging truths revealed by our Father in heaven. If communists attempt to poison the minds of youth, as they are doing, against God the Father and his Beloved Son, if they pervert the principles of the gospel of peace and good will, if they continue to sow the seeds of mistrust and hatred, we must more guardedly protect our youth, more militantly instruct them in the principles of the Restored Gospel, implant in their hearts the truth that " . . . there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12.) Let them realize that without Christ the world is lost. James L. Gordon is right when he declares: "A cathedral without windows, a face without eyes, a field without flowers, an alphabet without vowels, a continent without rivers, a night without stars, and a sky without a sun--these would not be so sad as a world without a Bible or a soul without Christ." He is the Son of "God in the Highest" as proclaimed by the heavenly hosts, the Prince of Peace, our Elder Brother, our Redeemer, our Savior. "His purposes fail not, neither are there any who can stay his hand. "From eternity to eternity he is the same, and his years never fail. "For thus saith the Lord--I, the Lord, am merciful and gracious unto those who fear me, and delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and truth unto the end. "Great shall be their reward and eternal shall be their glory." (D. & C. 76:3-6.) God bless the Church. It is worldwide. Its influence should be felt by all nations. May his spirit influence men everywhere and incline their hearts toward good will and peace. May divine guidance be given the priesthood, who hold the responsibility of declaring to an indifferent world the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 4, 1952 General Priesthood Meeting President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY Last evening in the meeting of the bishoprics of the Church a youth chorus furnished the music. It was inspiring. At the singing of the closing song I had to leave this building. Tonight, in the presence of all of you, I apologize to those young men and young women and to you bishoprics, 4000 of whom, approximately, were here assembled. It is true, I had an excuse, to meet some eastern men at nine o'clock who had to leave the city at seven this morning, and we met that appointment. But that in no way lessened my sense of having shown what to me, always seems disrespect, if not irreverence, on the part of anybody who leaves a house of worship before the close of the exercises. To the Bishopric, to you bishops, to you leaders who had those young people there, and to them especially I offer my apology. We have had tonight, as we had last night, presented to us by the Presidency of the Aaronic Priesthood, an expanded vision, of the great work of the Lesser Priesthood. God bless you, the Presiding Bishopric and the bishops throughout the Church, as you enter upon this new activity, and he will bless you if you follow the instructions of your leaders and the impressions that the Spirit of the Lord will give you. Tonight I have a message in my heart, whether I can give it to you, as I should like, it may be a question, and I pray for your sympathy and faith and prayers. I am going to lead up to the topic by referring to a kind of will that a man wrote to his son. Among other things he said, "It has not been my fate, in life's sharp struggles to win the honors other men have won. Mine has not been a life of great achievements; I have not done the deeds some men have done. But I have kept unsullied and untarnished that thing, a name entrusted to my care. I have not let dishonor dim its luster, nor have I let shame leave its black mark there." And then, he finally tells what he has done, "I have made, instead, my name synonymous, in all men's minds, with things the most worthwhile." And here, in his opinion, they are: First, "with strength to do the right, though none might see me." Second, "with grit to meet disaster with a smile." Third "with loyalty to those with claims upon me." Fourth, "with justice equally toward foe and friend." Fifth, "with honor, truth, integrity, square-dealing,--'My word my bond.' " All the virtues he had striven to develop, it seems, he climaxes, with "My word my bond." And that is the subject of my message to you. The' sacredness of promise. Recently, in this city, a prominent physician lay dying. Realizing that the end was near, he called his sobbing wife to his side and said, "Years ago when I was on a mission I promised I woman who was ill in the hospital that if she did not recover I would do her work in the temple. She did not recover. I tried to get her genealogy but could not, but I have her name, and I ask you now to see to it that my promise to her is fulfilled." His word was his bond. He was called to the other side before he fulfilled it, but he transferred that responsibility to his wife. She came to me following his death, and said, "I have promised to do that woman's work." Now this wife is not a religious woman, and has done very little in the Church, but she ha given her promise and she wants it fulfilled. Her Word her Bond! I have told you before about a man a prominent English lord, who had to borrow funds from his two friends. To the first he gave his note, but before he could pay that note, his lordship found himself in financial distress again and borrowed from another friend, to whom he gave his promise. When his lordship's income was sufficient to repay those loans, the two men were present. The man who held his lordship's note was surprised to learn that both could not be paid, and that the gentleman intended to pay the second lender, first. To that the first protested, saying, "Your lordship, I was first to lend you and therefore should be paid first." His lordship answered, "You have my note, guaranteeing payment; this gentleman has only my word of honor. I shall redeem my word of honor first." At that the holder of the note pulled the note from his pocketbook, tore it into shreds and threw the pieces into the wastebasket, saying, "There, your lordship, I have only your promise." "As you have put it upon that basis, you shall be paid first." Only a little, simple incident of a man outside the Church who sensed that his word was his bond. Fellow members of the Priesthood, do you so esteem your word? In all sincerity I ask it, tonight. You and I have given our words, our covenants. Do we hold them as sacred as did the people of Ammon, the story of whom you find in the Book of Mormon, who made an oath that they would never shed blood, and the time came when their benefactors were being punished, persecuted, killed, and the people of Ammon thought they would break that oath, but Helaman said no. And so those good men and women preferred death, if necessary, rather than break their word, violate their oath. You know the story of how two thousand boys went out to sacrifice their lives if necessary, so that their parents would not violate that oath. I wish to read something about those boys. "And they were all young men, and they were exceedingly valiant for courage, and also for strength and activity; but behold, this was not all--they were men who were true at all times in whatsoever thing they were entrusted." (Alma 53:20.) That is a great story, and an inspiration to young men in all the world. Now, the application--Do you realize that we made a promise, a covenant at the water's edge? You and I are pretty well along in years, some of you, but we remember our baptism on our eighth birthday. There was a sense that came to us that we would not swear after that baptism, that we would do whatever our parents asked us to do, that we would do our part, or render service in the Church when called upon to do it. We were only children at eight years of age, that is true, but I can remember those feelings and sentiments as clearly as though they were yesterday. Don't you? Later we realized what that covenant is. We buried the "old man," with all of his weaknesses, his jealousies, his tendency to slander, that we might come forth and walk in the newness of life. We refer to it now as the covenant made at the water's edge. You made it, you gave your word. Is your word your bond? I ask the Church, and especially the men who hold the Priesthood. Again, every Sunday in Sacrament meeting we give our word of honor, that we are willing to take upon us the name of the Son, that we will always remember him, that we will keep his commandments which he has given us, that we may have his Spirit to be with us. What a covenant! and we make it in the presence of one another and in the presence of God whom we are worshipping that day. Another promise: do you remember what you said when you took your sweet wife through the Temple, your confidence in her, her purity, her worthiness was supreme--as pure as a snowflake, as spotless as a sunbeam, as worthy of motherhood as the purest of virgins. And she had that same confidence in you, as a husband and father; and together you stood in the House of the Lord and covenanted with each other that you would be true. Is your word your bond? If so, then there should be no divorces, and the man who, because of his tendency to drink, abuses his wife and severs that connection, the man who, through desire to gratify his passion, becomes untrue to his wife, violates his word. There is no other explanation for it. We are a covenant people. I am thankful we are. We develop the virtues mentioned by the gentleman to whom I referred at the opening of my remarks. We keep unsullied and untarnished our name; we have not let dishonor dim its luster, nor have we let shame leave its dark mark there. We pray for strength to do the right, though none might see us. We want grit to meet disaster with a smile. We teach loyalty to all who have claims upon us. We advise to exercise justice equally to friend and foe. We teach honor, truth, integrity, and square-dealing, but to all this we add sacredness of our word of honor. God help us to keep our covenants. With all my soul I pray that the Priesthood of the Church may have that power in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 5, 1952 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY As we draw near the closing hour of this great inspirational conference, I think we can say in the words of Peter on the Mount of Transfiguration "Lord, it is good for us to be here." I believe conscientiously nearly every person who has assembled with the vast audiences beginning with the Relief Society last Wednesday to this moment may feel a gratitude in his or her heart for the conferences that have been held. We can express this feeling in prayer and gratitude. At this moment we have a prayer in our hearts that the Lord will bless those of our number who are ailing. We pray that comfort and healing may attend our beloved brother Albert E. Bowen. What a strength he has been to me personally! Brother Bowen, I want you to know we are not unmindful of your loyalty and your hours and hours of devotion to the special assignment given you during the last two years. Today one heart, throughout the Church, says, "God bless you. Brother Widtsoe, our prayers go to you, also. Your loyalty and faith we all know. Now, as your body is somewhat weakened, we unitedly pray our Father in heaven to sustain you. Our hearts go out to those in the Church who are grieving and worried because of sore affliction to their loved ones, and to those who have recently been bereft of loved ones, particularly through polio. As I look over those to whom we should express appreciation, I notice the absence of Brother Roy Darley, one of our organists. He and his wife are at the bedside of their only son, stricken with polio. Our prayers go out to them, and to President Clark and his daughter. President Clark's little granddaughter, Luacine, has been suffering from that same affliction. We are thankful that she is recovering. We want the parents whose little child was stricken last evening, necessitating the father's being called out from the priesthood meeting, to know that our prayers are that that dread disease may not be fatal to your loved one. That goes to all parents whose hearts are filled with anxiety because of afflicted ones. This is a prayerful Church. We are one body, and when one suffers we all, to a degree, share that suffering. I wish to express appreciation for the sustaining help of these noble counselors, President Stephen L. Richards and President J. Reuben Clark, Jr. No man--I make no exception--has been more blessed with the strength and wisdom, loyalty and devotion, of two counselors than I, and I express in your presence deep gratitude for their loyalty. Likewise to the members of the Council of the Twelve and to the other General Authorities of the Church--I want them to understand that I am not unmindful of their willingness to minimize my weaknesses which often stand out so glaringly, and of their magnanimity in magnifying any virtue they might see. They are loyal men, seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. Thank you, noble fellow workers! We thank the members of the Church for their sustaining prayers in behalf of the General Authorities of the Church. You may know, we wish you to know, that these prayers are effective, and I wish to testify to you, to the Church, and to the world that the inspiration and protecting care of a kind Father in heaven are real. He is closer to the Church than anybody outside the Church--and some within the Church--realize. The Lord is not just an absent, faraway source. He is a kind father, solicitous of the welfare of his children and ready and willing to hear and answer their call. The answer may be negative, as sometimes a wise parent gives a negative answer to the pleadings of a child, but he is ever ready to hear and to answer. His Beloved Son stands at the head of this Church. It is his Church. Oh, may the world realize that in the very near future, open their minds to study the needs of the war-torn world, and see that those needs may be supplied by obedience to the principles of the revealed word of God! This is Christ's Church. God help us all that we may be faithful members therein, and so live that others, seeing our good deeds, may be led to glorify our Father in heaven. We wish to express appreciation to the choir. What a glorious work these faithful men and women are doing! We appreciate the effort and ability of the conductors, the organists, the officers of the choir, for their work at the conferences, and for their regular broadcasts. We are grateful for the excellent weather we have enjoyed, unexcelled in all the world, grateful for the responsiveness of the audience to the messages that have been given, grateful for your co-operation, your ready adherence to any suggestion that will be helpful to the Church or to others. We appreciate all who assisted in any way during this conference, the cooperation of the city officials, rendering ready and efficient service, the traffic officers who have stood at the crossings who have guarded well the safety, and perhaps the lives, of some who might have otherwise been injured, who might have placed their lives in jeopardy. We are grateful for the flowers from kind hearts that were prompted to place these silent messengers of love here for your pleasure and your inspiration. We thank the ushers who have been so attentive, careful, who have kept these grounds so clean and neat, and in that respect we thank everyone of you for your assistance and care. We are grateful to the radio stations for their gratuitous service in enabling thousands and thousands to hear the messages of the General Authorities of the Church. Now, in conclusion, may I venture a suggestion. Twice, during the conference, reference has been made to the fact that we are approaching a general election, in which tension becomes high; sometimes feelings are engendered; often false reports are made; and innocent people are misjudged. Recently we heard that in one meeting, for example, it was stated authoritatively by somebody that two members of the General Authorities had said that the General Authorities of the Church had held a meeting and had decided to favor one of the leading political parties over the other, here in this state particularly. In Utah and surrounding states, contests for victory at the polls are being waged on national party lines. Regarding reports already received that the General Authorities of the Church have held a meeting and decided to wield their influence in favor of the candidates of one of these political parties, we will say: This report is not true, and I take this opportunity here, publicly, to denounce such a report as without foundation in fact. In the Church, there are members who favor the Democratic party. There are other members who sincerely believe and advocate the principles and ideals of the Republican party. The First Presidency, the Council of the Twelve, and other officers who constitute the General Authorities of the Church, preside over members of both political parties. The President is President of the Church, not favoring in this election either political party. The welfare of all members of the Church is equally considered by the President, his Counselors, and the General Authorities. Both political parties will be treated impartially. The Deseret News is the organ of the Church. It will be equally fair and impartial in the treatment of both political parties. This does not mean however, that error will be condoned. Teachings and ideologies subversive to the fundamental principles of this great Republic, which are contrary to the Constitution of the United States, or which are detrimental to the progress of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, will be condemned, whether advocated by Republicans or Democrats. We are all united in admonishing the members of the Church to register. We confirm the admonition already given from this pulpit regarding that important duty. We advocate the necessity of all members of the Church showing appreciation of your franchise, your citizenship, by voting, exercising your right to say who shall be your leaders. They become our servants. That is the spirit of the Constitution. You hold the right--I hope we still have it--to say who shall direct this nation and who shall direct our affairs in state, county, and municipality. Everybody in Utah and our surrounding states where our people are influential should exercise this right. Now in conclusion, my brethren, I should like to say just a word to the priesthood of the Church, eighteen thousand of whom gathered here last evening. Let us all follow the example of our great Leader and Savior, Jesus Christ, when he sat with his Twelve in that upper room and taught them the lesson of humility. He walked to the doorway where a basin of water stood, covered by a palm leaf, according to the custom of the day, girt himself with a towel as a servant, and washed the disciples' feet, and wiped them with the towel. You will remember that when he came to Peter, the chief Apostle protested: "Thou shalt never wash my feet." "If I wash not thy feet thou shalt have neither part nor parcel with me." "Nay then," said impetuous Peter "Not my feet only, but my hands and my head" (see John 13:8-9), and then after the Savior completed that ceremony, he ungirt himself, took his place at the head, and said: "Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. "If I then, your Lord and Master have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another's feet. "For I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you." (Idem 13-15.) In the 121st section of the Doctrine and Covenants, we have one of the greatest lessons in government ever given. I, as you, have studied pedagogy, a little psychology, but in principles of government I think you cannot find anywhere such sublime principles as follows: "That the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only upon the principles of righteousness. "That they may be conferred upon us, it is true; but when we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man." (D. & C. 121 :36-37.) "We have learned by sad experience that it is the nature and disposition of almost all men, as soon as they get a little authority, as they suppose, they will immediately begin to exercise unrighteous dominion. "Hence many are called, but few are chosen. "No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by longsuffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned; "By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile-- "Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost" --not when moved upon by selfishness, retaliation, or enmity--"and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved lest he esteem thee to be his enemy; "That he may know that thy faithfulness is stronger than the cords of death." (D. & C. 121:39-44.) And to all, we close with this: "Let thy bowels also be full of charity toward all men, and to the household of faith, and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God, and the doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven. "The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever." (Idem 45-46.) O Father, grant that we may magnify these high ideals of government and instil in our hearts and the hearts of those over whom we preside a love and confidence in thee and thy Beloved Son. In the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. April 4, 1953 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY IN BEHALF of the General Authorities of the Church, I wish to extend to the ten thousand people or more assembled here in the Tabernacle and on the Tabernacle Block, and to the tens of thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, of listeners a cordial welcome to the opening session of this, the 123rd Annual Conference of the Church. The General Authorities sense deeply the responsibility that rests upon them. Everyone, I am sure, feels, as I, the weight of this responsibility, and each one prays for your prayerful sympathy and your co-operation in the carrying on of this great work of establishing the kingdom of God on earth. We are especially pleased this morning to note in the audience, His Excellency, Honorable J. Bracken Lee, governor of the state of Utah; His Honor, Mayor Earl J. Glade, and representatives of the leading educational institutions, President A. Ray Olpin of the University of Utah, President Ernest L. Wilkinson of Brigham Young University, Superintendent M. Lynn Bennion of the City schools, and Superintendent E. Allen Bateman, state superintendent of schools. I am not sure whether President Louis L. Madsen of the Utah State Agricultural College is present or not; if he is, we bid him welcome with the others. We wish to welcome also Dr. Franklin L. West, Church commissioner of education, and his associates, Dr. John L. Clarke, president of Ricks College, and other leading educators. May we have your sympathy--I appeal to all who are listening in to give us your faith and prayers, as we present to you this morning the messages that will come from those who will be called to occupy the pulpit. In addition to the statistical and other data just presented to you by the Clerk of the Conference, you will undoubtedly be interested in the following items which pertain more directly to the spiritual interests of the Church. This is merely a summary, and I shall present it as quickly as possible. The activity of the men holding the Melchizedek Priesthood is especially gratifying. A summary of the past five years discloses the fact that there is an increase in the following activities: (1) in the number of full tithepayers, (2) the number holding family prayers, (3) the number attending weekly group meetings, (4) the attendance at sacrament meetings shows no increase, and (5) visits by quorum officers to quorum members show a decrease of two percent, but participation in Church work, an increase from forty-four percent to eight-one percent. These figures refer only to Melchizedek Priesthood workers. Favorable as the record is, we admonish them to more activity and urge them to participate more generally in Church activities. The Relief Society of the Church gives an equally pleasing report, growing in membership, accomplishment, and spirituality. During 1952 there were 7900 names added to the membership. The sisters fully co-operate with the priesthood and lend great strength to wards and stakes, missions and branch activities, such as building programs and welfare projects. The compassionate services are receiving careful attention. During 1952 there were 209,890 visits made to the sick and the homebound, and 22,500 eight-hour days bedside nursing on a voluntary basis. This is particularly important in view of the pronounced nurse shortage. The sisters have strong testimonies of the truth of the gospel, as is attested by the righteousness of their lives, and evidenced in the testimonies borne during the testimony period held in connection with the monthly theology lessons. "It is our personal opinion," say the Presidency, "that the Church has never had a generation of Relief Society women more spiritual, more diligent, or more devoted to the work of the Church." The Sunday School--a goodly number of Sunday Schools whose superintendents have been left in that position long enough to catch the spirit of effective Sunday School work--has made strides in increasing the testimony and spiritual attunement of a large proportion of members by the following means: first, ward teacher training classes for prospective teachers; second, increasing numbers of stakes are holding monthly union meetings which had to be abandoned during the war; third, great numbers of Sunday School teachers report having been helped immensely by the inspiration, the lesson enrichments, and the teaching "know-how" contained in the great magazine for Sunday School teachers, The Instructor; and, fourth, by double use of ward chapel and classrooms; for example, one overcrowded Sunday School has increased its average attendance from a crowded 342 in 1950 to a comfortable 424 in 1952. And that is not an increase in the membership of the ward. Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association--Increase of enrolment during last year, 29,000. Last year over 30,000 young people participated in choral productions; not one of them failed significantly to lift the spiritual sights of the participants. Over 25,000 individual talks or speeches were given, most of them on spiritual topics. Over 35,000 young people participated in some way or other in an M.I.A. drama. Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association--The great purpose of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association is to build testimonies in the lives of the young women of the Church, both members and investigators. This purpose is promoted in three major ways: First, there is the girls' program which stresses, along with full activity in the Church, regular attendance at sacrament, Sunday School, and M.I.A. meetings. For the past year over 25,000 individual awards were given to girls. This means that they attended at least seventy-five percent of the Sunday School and M.I.A. meetings, fifty percent of the sacrament meetings. Over 2000 leaders received an award, which in their case, also indicated attendance at seventy-five percent of the leadership meetings. In December 1952, all girls, twelve to nineteen, in the Church, achieved an average of fifty-seven percent attendance at sacrament meeting, sixty-six percent at Sunday School and sixty-seven percent at M.I.A. This is an increase over the previous year of four percent at sacrament meeting, and three percent at Sunday School and M.I.A. Primary--Four objectives have been highlighted in the Primary Association this year: first, stimulate interest in the reading of the Book of Mormon; second, promote greater reverence in our chapels--a most commendable objective third, teach the children to pray--equally important; fourth, stress the importance of the boys receiving the Aaronic Priesthood. Thirty-two thousand officers and teachers have been reading the Book of Mormon as a scripture assignment. Primary teachers throughout the Church have been urged and advised to accept the responsibility and privilege of teaching the children to pray and to help them to trust in our Father in heaven, believing that he will hear and answer their prayers. Over 7000 boys have been graduated from Primary and have been assisted in their preparation to receive the Aaronic Priesthood. I wish that the ten thousand people here assembled might have seen the program that was given to the presidents of the Primary Associations in the Hotel Utah last Thursday evening. We commend the priesthood workers and all the auxiliary workers of the Church. God bless you in your sincere and untiring efforts to teach the young ones and the older ones the principles of truth and salvation. TWO FUNCTIONS And now, my dear fellow workers, a few words in general, regarding the great mission that is yours in preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ. In anticipation of this hour, I have been impressed to emphasize two great functions of the Church: first, the putting in order of our homes, and keeping them in order; and second, the proclaiming of the divinity of the mission of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. With these two objectives in mind, may I have your attention, your faith and prayers. "For what is a man profited," said the Savior, "if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt. 16:26.) The first recorded question of the Savior after his baptism in the river Jordan, was, "What seekest thou?" In the text I have just read, he again refers to the dominant incentive prompting man's actions in daily life. If a man seek wealth, worldly honors, pleasures and all that riches and honor can bestow but neglects and leaves undeveloped the eternal riches of his soul, what is he profited? Thus does the Lord emphasize in a simple though majestic comparison of material and spiritual possessions. On another occasion, in the Sermon on the Mount, he admonished his hearers to seek "first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Ibid., 6:33.) Seeking to establish the kingdom of God and to foster his righteousness should be the paramount purpose of life. I think none will gainsay that. Leading statesmen, clear-thinking educators, in public addresses and in magazine articles, frequently refer to what they declare is an apparent spiritual poverty of the present age, and they cite the need for higher moral and ethical standards. Some months ago, you will recall, a British jet plane crossed and recrossed the Atlantic Ocean in about eight hours. Shortly thereafter a cartoon appeared in the New York Times which pictured a jet plane traveling at fantastic speed. The plane was labeled, "man's scientific progress." On the ground was a huge turtle moving slowly and ponderously. It was labeled, "man's moral progress." Commenting upon this, Professor William G. Russell, instructor in the Memorial High School at Pelham, New York, writes: "In a vivid way this cartoon symbolizes what could be the tragedy of the modern age, and what is without doubt one of the most compelling reasons for greater attention to moral and spiritual values in our homes and in our schools." And then he adds as a school man: "Courses required of all students in our public schools should include all the important areas of study that directly or indirectly provide the student with opportunities for spiritual growth and religious inspiration. "From such study," he continues, "it is reasonable to expect that our students will better understand how vital has been the role of religion at critical moments in history, how important spiritual insights and religious faith can be in the lives of men and women how closely related are true human greatness and such qualities as honesty, integrity, humility, generosity, compassion. We may expect in our students more idealism and less of cynicism, more of a wholesome courage and faith in the future and less of pessimism and foreboding and fear. "We may hope for increased tolerance of racial and religious differences, increased respect for those of opposite political views or of lower social and economic levels, increased awareness of the basic and inviolable dignity of the individual man or woman. We may contribute to the development of a more sensitive social conscience, a greater sense of responsibility for the less fortunate in our society. We may even, perhaps, without knowing it, bring a boy or girl closer to God." I cite that because of the opportunities which I think lie ahead of us in our public schools. In his great inaugural address, President Dwight D. Eisenhower referred to this same great need. "In the swift rush of great events we find ourselves groping to know the full sense and meaning of these times in which we live. In our quest of understanding, we beseech God's guidance. We summon all our knowledge of the past, and we scan all signs of the future. We bring all our wit and all our will to meet the question: "How far have we come in man's long pilgrimage from darkness toward the light? Are we nearing the light--a day of freedom and of peace for all mankind? Or are the shadows of another night closing in upon us? "At such a time in history, we who are free must proclaim anew our faith. "This faith is the abiding creed of our fathers. It is our faith in the deathless dignity of man, governed by eternal moral and natural laws. "This faith defines our full view of life. It establishes, beyond debate, those gifts of the Creator that are man's inalienable rights, and that make all men equal in his sight. "In the light of this equality, we know that the virtues most cherished by free people--love of truth, pride of work, devotion to country--all are treasures equally precious in the lives of the most humble and of the most exalted. "The men who mine coal and fire furnaces, and balance ledgers, and turn lathes, and pick cotton, and heal the sick, and plant corn--all serve as proudly and as profitably, for America as the statesmen who draft treaties and the legislators who enact laws. "This faith rules our whole way of life. It decrees that we, the people, elect leaders not to rule but to serve. It asserts that we have the right to choice of our own work and to the reward of our own toil. "It inspires the initiative that makes our productivity the wonder of the world. And it warns that any man who seeks to deny equality among all his brothers betrays the spirit of the free and invites the mockery of the tyrant. "It is because we, all of us, hold to these principles that the political changes accomplished this day do not imply turbulence, upheaval, or disorder. Rather, this change expresses a purpose of strengthening our dedication and devotion to the precepts of our founding documents, a conscious renewal of faith in our country and in the watchfulness of a divine providence. "The enemies of this faith know no god but force, no devotion but its use. They tutor men in treason. They feed upon the hunger of others. Whatever defies them, they torture, especially the truth." And so we have the call of men of clear vision and sound judgment, for a re-dedication of schools and homes to moral and spiritual values. Our most precious possession is the youth of the land, and to instruct them to walk uprightly and to become worthy citizens in the kingdom of God is our greatest obligation. Religious freedom and the separation of church and state are clearly set forth in the first amendment to the Constitution of the United States, and no governmental agency can have any supervision, control, or jurisdiction over religion. Though our public schools may emphasize moral, ethical, and spiritual values as essential elements in the public school program, they cannot favor any particular religion or religious system. The teaching of religion is therefore definitely a responsibility of the home and the Church. In discharging this responsibility, I say again, members of the Church should ever keep in mind two paramount obligations: (1) to put and to keep your home in order; and (2), to proclaim the divinity of Jesus Christ and the essentiality of his teachings to the salvation of the human family. If, upon examination, you were to find that termites are undermining the foundation of your house, you would lose no time to have experts make thorough examination and have the destructive insects exterminated. You would have the weakened materials removed and the foundation strengthened and, if necessary, rebuilt. Well, more important than the building of your house is the rebuilding and purifying of your home. "Our home joys," says Pestalozzi, "are the most delightful earth affords, and the joy of parents in their children is the most holy joy of humanity. It makes their hearts pure and good; it lifts them up to their Father in heaven." Well, you know, and I know, that such joys are within the reach of most men and women if high ideals of marriage and home be properly fostered and cherished. But there are destructive termites of homes, as well as of houses, and some of these are backbiting, evil-speaking, faultfinding on the part either of parents or of children. Slander is poison to the soul. "Slanderers are like flies that pass all over a man's good parts to light only on his sores." In the ideal home, there is no slanderous gossip about day schoolteachers, about public officials, or Church officials. I am more grateful now, as years have come and gone, to my father, who with hands lifted said, "Now, no faultfinding about your teacher or anybody else." Quarreling and swearing also are evils that lower the standards of the ideal home. I cannot imagine a father or mother swearing in the presence of children or even letting it pass their lips. George Washington set us a good example in this regard. When he learned that some of his officers were given to profanity, he sent a letter to them on July 1, 1776, from which I quote: "The general is sorry to be informed that the foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing, a vice heretofore little known in an American army, is growing into fashion. He hopes the officers will, by example, as well as influence, endeavor to check it, and that both they and the men will reflect that we can have little hope of the blessing of heaven on our arms if we insult it by our impiety and folly. Added to this, it is a vice so mean and low, without any temptation, that every man of sense and character detests and despises it. Another deterrent to happiness in the home is the refusal to bear the full responsibility of motherhood and fatherhood. Members of the Church who are healthy and normal should not be guilty of restricting the number of children in the home, especially when such action is prompted by a desire for a good time, or for personal gain, or to keep up with the neighbors, or by a false impression that one or two children in a family can be better educated. These are excuses which members of the Church should not harbor, for they are unjustified. The question of size of families, I know, brings up many problems: the question of woman's career, the false cry of "quality, not quantity," which one writer rightly says should read "extinction, not preservation," or the matter-of-fact question of daily living and getting on in the world. With the high ideal of marriage as revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith members of the Church should have but one goal, and that is to keep in mind the fact that marriage, the foundation of society, is "ordained of God" for the building of permanent homes in which children may be properly reared and taught the principles of the gospel. The following, I am sure, will strike a responsive chord in the hearts of the majority of parents in the Church. I quote: "Every period of human life is wonderful; the irresponsible age of childhood, the thrilling years of adolescence and courtship, the productive, fighting, burden-bearing era of parenthood; but the most wonderful time of life comes when the father and mother become chums of their grown-up, successful sons and daughters, and can begin to enjoy their children's children.... "Youth is confined with restrictions, limitations, schedules, and dominations; adolescence is full of mysteries, longings, and defeats; early fatherhood is absorbed in struggles and in the solution of problems; extreme old age is shadowed by eternal mysteries; but middle age and normal old age, if life has been rightly and fully lived, are filled with the thrills, not merely of success but of companionship with children and grandchildren. "Every normal individual should complete the full cycle of human lift with all its joys and satisfactions in natural order: childhood, adolescence, youth, parenthood, middle age, and the age of grandchildren. Each age has satisfactions which can be known only by experience. You must be born again and again in order to know the full course of human happiness. When the first baby is born, a mother is born, a father is born, and grandparents are born; only by birth can any of these come into being. Only by the natura] cycle of life can the great progressive joys of mankind be reached. "Any social system which prevents the individual from pursuing the norma] cycle of life, from marrying young, from rearing a family before the age of fifty or so, and from obtaining the deep peculiar joys of middle life and grandparenthood defeats the divine order of the universe and lays the basis of all sorts of social problems. "When a young man and woman of the right biological type marry in the early twenties and are prepared to earn a living and support and rear a family they have started in the normal cycle of life. They are likely to give society far fewer problems of crime, immorality, divorce, or poverty than are their unmarried companions. They will have children and rear them while they are strong, enjoy them when they are grown up and successful, depend upon them in weakness, and profit by the finest type of old-age insurance ever invented by man or God, an insurance which pays its annuities in material goods when necessary, but which mainly pays in the rich joys of love and fellowship.... The crowning joys of human experience will come in middle age and onward, through the companionship, love and honor of children and grandchildren." (R. J. Sprague.) We appeal to all members of the Church to set their homes in order and to enjoy the true happiness of harmonious family life. As already stated, the second paramount obligation is to proclaim the divine mission of Jesus Christ. Nineteen hundred years ago, a valiant defender of that cause said: "This is the stone which was set at nought of you builders which is become the head of the corner. "Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:11-12.) The man who thus declared Jesus to be the one and only safe leader and guide in the world was an ordinary fisherman who lived nearly two thousand years ago. He grew to manhood, experiencing life among common folk such as you and I. He was not a dreamer. He was thoroughly a man of action, though somewhat impetuous. He was fairly prosperous, possessed qualities of leadership, and, above all, he was honest. Circumstances drew Peter into close relationship with Jesus of Nazareth. For nearly three years this hardheaded fisherman accompanied Jesus almost constantly. He became intimately acquainted with the Master. Jesus' philosophy of life became Peter's philosophy. Not suddenly, but gradually, through careful, critical observation and inward experience, Peter arrived at a firm and sublime conviction, expressed clearly and unhesitatingly when he declared before his accusers, the leaders of the Jewish Sanhedrin, ". . . there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." MODERN VIEW OF SALVATION Saved is a trite word, frequently applied by religious leaders to a real or imagined instantaneous change of heart. The sense in which we use it this morning is expressed by Dr. Charles Foster Kent, professor of biblical literature in Yale University, who, in answer to the question, "From what does man need to be saved?" writes: "This question must be answered today, not in the light of metaphysics or abstract theology, but of physiology, psychology, political science, economics and sociology. In the light of modern psychology, it is apparent that while a man may experience instantaneously what is commonly called conversion his salvation is not attained in a moment but is a continuous educational process. It is accomplished not by negations, but by developing within him nobler impulses and ideals and by bringing him into normal relations with his environment and by teaching him how to function, that is, effectively to accomplish his lifework in the environment in which he is placed. "This is precisely what Jesus did for the needy men and women who gathered about him during his work in Galilee. And what he did for them then he is able to do for men today, for the needs and the processes of salvation are eternally the same. He was able to perform his saving work because he himself had felt many of the same needs and had found the only way of satisfying them. "No teacher of the past was more awake to the weakness of human nature than Jesus; but he also saw and proclaimed clearly its divine possibilities. He saw that those possibilities could be realized only as each individual was brought into normal living touch with the Heavenly Father. A man's recognition of his sonship to God opens his eyes at once to the fact that all men are his brothers. Herein lies the miracle of the religious life. It is the eternal mystery of conversion. "When once a man enters fully into his filial attitude toward God and fraternal relations with his fellow men, he suddenly finds himself saved from the dominance of his passions, his selfish impulses, from worry and fear. Even the consequences of his past sins no longer master him, but a great alluring field of service opens before him. With this self-forgetting service there come peace and the joy and exultation that crown worthy achievement." Furthermore, members of the Church declare at Easter season, and throughout the year, that the Church of Jesus Christ stands with Peter, with Paul, with James, and with all other Apostles who accepted the resurrection not only as being literally true, but as being also the consummation of Christ's divine mission upon the earth. Religious leaders since history began have taught virtue, temperance, self-control, service, obedience to righteousness, and duty; some have taught a belief in one supreme ruler and in a hereafter; but only Christ broke the seal of the grave and revealed death as the door to immortality and eternal life. To the unimpeachable evidence of the ancient Apostles to the resurrection of our Lord we add the sublime declaration of the Prophet Joseph Smith: "And now, after the many testimonies which have been given of him, this is the testimony, last of all, which we give of him: That he lives!" (D. & C. 76:22.) As Christ lived after death, so shall the human family, each one taking that place in the next world which he or she merits through actions during earthly life. Since love is as eternal as life, the message of the resurrection is the most comforting, the most glorious ever given to man; for when death takes a loved one from us, we can look into the open grave and say, he is not here; he is alive. Happy homes give to their inmates a taste of heaven on earth--acceptance of the divinity of Christ's mission and compliance with the principles of his gospel, give assurance of immortality and eternal life. I testify that a knowledge of his existence and of the truth of his gospel is the source of the greatest comfort and happiness to man. May the day speedily come when honest, sincere men and women throughout the world may have in their souls this assurance, I earnestly pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. April 4, 1953 General Priesthood Meeting President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY When President Robertson referred to the freedom we enjoy in this great country, and gave us a glimpse of barbarism going on in China and other places, these lines came to my mind: "Breathes there the man, with soul so dead, Who never to himself hath said This is my own, my native land?" Let us thank God every morning, every night, in our family prayers, that we live in the United States of America, the Constitution of which vouchsafes individual freedom, and let us pray also, that the Lord will frustrate the plans of the Communists who would deprive us of that freedom. There are in the Tabernacle tonight, 10,432; in the Assembly Hall 2,932; in the Barratt Hall 1,220; on the grounds 1,792; the Field House at Provo reports 839; making a total of over 17,000 men of the Priesthood assembled tonight. It has always been my nature to enjoy the company of my associates. I love to be with my friends. The older I grow the more intense becomes my appreciation of fellowship in the Brotherhood of Christ. I sense that tonight more deeply, more sincerely than ever before. As I have looked into your faces, partaken of your spirit, as I picture those in the Assembly Hall in the Barratt Hall and on the grounds and down in the Field House, I feel that it is one of the greatest privileges, one of the most inspirational experiences in life to associate with men who hold the Holy Priesthood. I have nothing but blessing in my heart for you. I love you. I like to call you my beloved associates and fellow workers, and that love is akin to the love we have for our wives and our children, and if we can keep this unity, this confidence, nothing in the world can stop the progress of this work. You note tonight that the theme has largely been missionary. We have called these brethren from China, Australia, and Switzerland merely illustrative of how wide-spread our Gospel is. We have had them from the Islands, from South Africa. They are calling, calling for missionaries. Within the last few weeks, prominent visitors from India, Indo-China, from Hong Kong, have extended a cordial invitation to us to come to these places. This is a world-wide religion, brethren. It is the Gospel that must be preached to every nation, kindred, tongue and people. Let me thank you and those of your families who have sent in checks by the scores, recently, with promises to repeat those checks monthly, to aid local missionaries in spreading the Gospel. We do not want any missionary in Australia or New Zealand or in any of the American nations, or in Mexico to have his or her expenses paid entirely but we will assist whenever possible local missionaries who need supplementary assisting. The response to suggestions of some of the brethren for such missionary funds is surprising and gratifying. As far as possible we let the donors know the names of those to whom this money is sent. How the way opens up for the preaching of the Gospel! The calling of the boys into the military service has of course crippled our missionary work, more than it should have done. If anybody tells you that members of this Church are not carrying their share in the military work, you may just tell them that they do not know what they are talking about. I just take this opportunity to thank all who are contributing to the missionary cause. Another phase of this missionary work tonight--Professor James L. Barker for years has urged that we give classes in foreign languages, that our young men may have an opportunity to study at home and get at least the fundamentals before going to a foreign country. Well, it is a good suggestion, but we have not yet been able to make it practical. It seems now that the time has come when we must do something. I have here before me an appeal for the teaching of languages in our high schools. I have a note from one who says that among all our senior high schools, only 15 offer one or more courses in foreign languages. In the Church there are men and women from every country in the world, in which there are missionaries. I should like to encourage our young men and young women, young men particularly, to include in their high school and college courses, some of these languages. President Wilkinson informs me that twelve foreign languages are taught in the B.Y.U.--German, French, Portuguese, Greek, Syrian, Russian, Arabic, Latin, Swedish, Norwegian, Finnish, Dutch. In the University of Utah I learn that they have 810 students registered in 12 languages, and so the opportunity is at hand. Recently there appeared in a local paper here an excellent editorial on the necessity, on the advisability of teaching languages here in our State, and in the United States. "Modern languages are not as widely or as successfully taught in United States schools as they should be to meet the requirements of the nation's position. The high school student who takes a language often finds he has practically forgotten. it within a year or so. That may be due, in large part, to the fact that there is little opportunity to exercise language skills. The need to learn foreign languages should be accented and the acquisition and use of such languages stimulated. When men can talk together, they can get together." The responsibility of preaching the Gospel rests upon us. When the people in Macedonia called to Paul, and the spirit told him to go over, he answered that call. They are calling for us in various nations they are calling for more missionaries now in the missions already established, and we must answer that call. Brethren, in conclusion, let me urge more diligence in living the principles of the Gospel. We may preach, we may write, and publish books, but the most effective way of preaching the Gospel to the nations of the world, is by example. "Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine," said the Savior, "and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: "And the rain descended, and floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. "And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man which built his house upon the sand: "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." May God add his blessings to the instructions and the reports given this night, may we depart with greater determination in our hearts to serve the Lord and keep his commandments, may we go forth with greater resolution to defend and keep his commandments, may we go forth with greater resolution to defend one another in righteous living, to defend the Church, not to speak against our neighbors, nor against authorities of the Church, local, stake or general. Let us avoid evil speaking, let us avoid slander and gossip. These are poisons to the soul to those who indulge. Evil speaking injures the reviler more than the reviled. I heard a recent convert who came from Europe say, "I am surprised to hear how many people talk against the Authorities here in Salt Lake City." She was grieved, she had the right ideal of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, that we should speak well of one another. Brethren, peace be in your hearts peace and harmony be in your homes. God bless every man and every woman who has entered the waters of baptism with a testimony of the truth, I bear that testimony to you tonight with all my soul. I know that the power of God rests with his servants. I know that he will reveal and does reveal his mind and will to them. The communications of man's spirit, of one holding the Priesthood, with our Father in Heaven through the Holy Spirit is real. Is there anything in the world more precious than that knowledge! It is more precious than life, because it gives assurance that if death does come, that spirit continues. I bear you that testimony, that communication with our Heavenly Father is real, that Jesus Christ, our Lord, stands at the head of this Church. and that he desires the members so to live that this truth, this Gospel, may be preached in all the world as a witness and then the end will come. With all my soul I bless you my fellow workers and pray that his inspiration will abide in your hearts and that peace and harmony and love may abide in your homes, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. April 6, 1953 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY THE HOUR that marks the close of this great conference is here. As you know, four members of our General Authorities have been disabled recently, and are unable to carry on their regular duties. We are thankful to say, however, that two of them have been with us during the sessions that mark the inspiration and uplift of this gathering. Elder Thomas E. McKay has been incapacitated for several months. He and the others have had to pay the penalty of overwork, over exertion. When he collapsed several months ago, his heartbeats went down, according to the doctor, to sixteen. We are told that when they get below thirty life is precarious, but from that time, when Thomas E. called his family together to say good-bye, up to the present, he has shown gradual improvement and now he counts his heartbeats at thirty-six, thirty-eight, occasionally they reach forty. He acknowledges, and we acknowledge, the hand of the Lord in the preservation of his life, and we appreciate, and he appreciates your faith and prayers in his behalf. Elder Clifford E. Young recently met with an accident, but he, as you know, is sufficiently restored to be enabled to take his part as one of the speakers in this conference, and has given you his message, as has also Elder Thomas E. McKay. Elder Albert E. Bowen, also stricken, has been confined to the hospital for several months. It is said that one element of true greatness is to choose the right with invincible resolution. That, our Brother Bowen has always done, and expounded the principles of the gospel with a clarity so characteristic of him. Our hearts ache as we note that some of his muscles are not responding. However, we want him to know as we close this great conference, that he still has and will continue to have our faith and prayers for his restoration to health; and we pray that the Lord will give him a desire, and increased faith, to receive the blessings which we hope the Lord will give him. With all our hearts we say God bless you, Brother Bowen. President Richards, another great leader, has been putting forth too much effort also, and his physical condition requires rest. I am pleased to report to you he is sufficiently recovered to meet occasionally in meetings of the First Presidency. President Clark and I have had three meetings with him during the three days that we have been assembled in this conference, to all the proceedings of which he has been listening over the radio and television. At the conclusion now he sends this message: "President McKay: I should be very pleased if you would express to the people my deep gratitude for the inspiration of the conference, and also extend to my brethren and sisters my love and my prayers that the united efforts of all the Saints may bring great advancement to the cause we love. Affectionately, Stephen L. Richards." Brother Stephen L.: Let me assure you that there is but one heart in this great audience today, and it responds in reciprocation of your love and blessing. God bless you! Now, may we take a few moments to express our gratitude to all who have contributed to the inspiration of the sessions held since last Saturday morning. First, you who were here yesterday morning listened to an inspiring anthem, entitled "Out of the Silence," written by Elder Cyril Jenkins, one of our members and a holder of the priesthood in Australia, who has rendered great service to the Church in having the excellent selections of the Tabernacle Choir put on the radio stations in that far-off land, and who is now in Great Britain, arranging with the British broadcasting stations to have the people in that land have the privilege of hearing the excellent music rendered by this organization. We thank you, Brother Jenkins, and say God bless you, that you may achieve the noble purposes you have in mind. We express gratitude and commendation for the responsiveness and attentiveness of the audiences. I wish particularly to commend you for your reverential attitude. This is a sacred building, used for many purposes, it is true, until we get an auditorium that will take care of some secular assemblies of the sessions. It is sacred, and we have noted that you have governed yourselves accordingly. From the moment that the clock marked the beginning of a session, perfect order has prevailed. We ask that this example be followed by all the Saints in their ward chapels and in halls in which you meet to worship. We express appreciation for the cooperation of city officials. Their ready and efficient service has been noted. The traffic officers have rendered valuable service in handling increased traffic. We have already expressed appreciation to the Berkeley Stake for the calla lilies that have beautified the building. Our ushers have done excellent service! They volunteered last evening to put up a platform. They had it removed early this morning. They have been ready and willing to look after the people who had need of the emergency hospital, which has been on the grounds, and in every way have rendered service to add to the convenience of the many visitors who are here. Especially we mention appreciation to the various radio stations: here in our own city, KSL, and others in the state of Utah, in Idaho, in Colorado, Nevada, Arizona, California, Hawaii. Managers of these stations, no one can tell how many people have been blessed by your magnanimity and co-operation. We thank you! We express appreciation to our singers. I do not know that we have ever had for every session such inspiring music rendered by the combined Scandinavian choirs Saturday, the Men's Chorus of the Tabernacle Choir Saturday night, by our own Tabernacle Choir Sunday and by the combined choruses of Brigham Young University today. I can scarcely refrain from commenting on the inspiration that the presence of these young men and young women gives to us. "How beautiful is youth! how bright it gleams With its illusions, aspirations, dreams! Book of Beginnings, story without end, Every maid a heroine, and each man a friend!" How glorious is youth, and here are several hundred of them in our presence contributing their talents to the inspiration of our conference. Again, thank you. To all others who have in any way contributed to the excellency and the inspiration of this, the 123rd conference, we express our gratitude. Now, may I trespass upon your time a few moments to say a final word to you mission presidents, to you presidencies of stakes, bishoprics of wards, to you officers, stake and local, to you mothers who are doing so much to make these new buildings to which reference has been made, so attractive, and in other ways contributing to the advancement of the work. Much of what you brethren and sisters do we never hear about, and it seems as though you are working without any visible results, but no good deed, no kind word can be spoken without its effect being felt for good upon all. Sometimes the good may be infinitesimal, but as a rock that is thrown in a pool starts a wave from the center which continues to enlarge until every part of the shore is touched, so your deeds, silent, many of them, unknown unspoken, unheralded, continue to radiate and touch many hearts. We are not unappreciative of what you are doing. Nobody can go out to a dedicatory service of one of these meetinghouses, hear incidents, details, illustrations of what seem to be sacrifices of the hours and hours of work, given freely, without being deeply impressed with the integrity and sincerity of the members of this Church. Thursday morning this building was crowded to capacity by Primary workers, representatives of one organization. That night, the hotel ballroom was crowded with former workers, general board workers of the Primary, present workers, present officers from stakes. I wish the ten thousand people here could have seen the illustration and the examples they gave showing the growth of the Primary during the last seventy-five years. Friday night this building was crowded to overflowing by the bishoprics of the Church, under the direction of the Presiding Bishopric. Saturday, seventeen thousand members of the priesthood filled this house the Assembly Hall, Barratt Hall, Field House at BYU, representing the priesthood of the Church. We have had a meeting of the patriarchs, another of mission presidents, another of welfare workers, and one of stake missionaries. Why all these, and all other meetings in the Church? Tell me! They are held for the good of the individual--for your son and my son, your daughter and mine. The Lord has said, " . . . If it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father! And now, if your joy will be great with one soul that you have brought unto me into the kingdom of my Father, how great will be your joy if you should bring many souls unto me!" (D. & C. 18:15-16.) The whole purpose of the organization of this great Church, so complete, so perfect, is to bless the individual. How that stands out in striking contrast, in opposition, to the claim of the communist who says that the individual is but a spoke in the wheel of the state that the state is all in all, the individual being but a contributing factor to the perpetuation and strength of the state. That idea is diametrically opposed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus sought for a perfect society, "not by agitating the people to revolt against political or social organizations, nor by any reorganization of existing conditions, but by perfecting the individual. He recognized the fallacy in the dream of those who hoped to make a perfect society out of imperfect individuals." In all these labors and associations, he sought the perfection of the individual. His goal always set before his followers was the emancipation of men and women from greed, from anger, from jealousy, from hatred, from fear; and in their place he hoped to bring about a complete and normal development of the individual's divine powers through right thinking and unselfish efficient service. He promised no material rewards but he did promise perfected, divine manhood, as we have heard in this conference. "Be ye perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect." (Matt. 5:48.) And with that divine manhood comes the resultant happiness, true happiness. FINAL BLESSING God bless you, my dear fellow workers, you General Authorities, stake presidencies, bishoprics, every officer and teacher throughout the land, every member. May the Spirit of the Lord abide in your hearts, and in your homes, that people partaking of your radiation of honesty, integrity, uprightness, and faith in our Lord Jesus Christ will be led to glorify our Father in heaven. Many years ago--a Chinese philosopher expressed the thought that I am trying to give you, and the result of individual righteousness as follows: "If there is righteousness in the heart there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home there will be order in the nation. If there is order in the nation there will be peace in the world." God help us to bring about that peace in the only way that it can come, and that through obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ, I pray in his holy name. Amen. October 2, 1953 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY Elder Joseph W. Anderson has just read the vital statistical data, the changes in ward and stake organizations, and the obituaries of the Church. There are a few more items which might be mentioned, in which you will probably be interested. The Church construction of chapels, classrooms, and recreation halls continues without abatement, indeed, with acceleration. During the last nine months, the Church has spent $5,568,000.00 in stakes, and $2,109,000.00 in missions, a total of $7,677,000.00, or a total to date this year, including local funds contributed for this purpose, in stakes, $10,337,000.00, and in the missions, $2,704,000.00 (I am not reading the full amount), or a total of $13,041,000.00. TEMPLE CONSTRUCTION You already know about the dedication of two temple sites in Europe--the first in the history of the Church--one at Berne, Switzerland, and another between London and Brighton, England. The construction of the temple in Los Angeles is proceeding satisfactorily. We wish to commend the members of the Church in the Los Angeles Temple district for their magnanimous contribution to this edifice. As has already been announced, they volunteered to contribute over a million dollars towards the construction and completion of this edifice, and their payments are practically up-to-date. In addition to giving this large cash contribution they recently volunteered to assist in the landscaping, and even now they are planting shrubbery and getting trees so that at the time of dedication of the temple, the grounds will be properly and beautifully landscaped. May the Lord bless these faithful people and enable them to fulfil their promise in order that this edifice may be completely paid for by its dedication within a year and a half or two years. The plans already are drawn for the temple in Switzerland, and the architect and contractor are proceeding so that that edifice will be completed without delay. STAKE MISSIONARY WORK You will be interested to know that the stake missionary work is meeting with unprecedented results: 6518 stake missionaries are now working within the organized stakes. To date there have been 3441 who have accepted the gospel through the efforts of these stake missionaries, and the work is continuing with unabated zeal. YOUTH PROGRAM We might mention, too, for your interest, that the youth program is being carried on most ably. I shall not take time to weary you with statistics, but in the girls' program, covering all the girls from twelve to nineteen, for August 1953, there were 56,332 enrolled. We believe that is one hundred percent of all the girls between those ages. The average attendance of the girls at the three meetings for this month, August, were as follows: Of those young girls, forty-nine percent of them attended sacrament meetings; fifty-nine percent attended the Sunday Schools; and fifty-four percent attended the MIA meetings. We commend you, sisters. A very definite program is carried out by the MIA for getting in touch with inactive girls and in trying to interest them in the Mutual Improvement Association. In YMMIA during the past three years there has been an increase of 11,872 in enrolment in the scouting program. According to a report (we have this from Brother D. L. Roberts, who is director of the Mormon relationships in the Boy Scouts, and from Brother Elbert R. Curtis, general superintendent), on Sunday evening, during the jamboree at Los Angeles, July 19, a great convocation was held. Attending were more than forty-five thousand Boy Scouts, and there were present fifty thousand or more visitors. During the convocation great attention was paid to the churches of America, and religious training, and our Church received favorable attention. This made us happy to see an organization such as scouting bring such favorable comments about the work that is being done for the young in the Church. I have notes before me emphasizing particularly what the Primary Association is doing for our eleven-year-old boys who are now taking up preliminary Scout work, also commending the high percentage of attendance at Primary meetings, and the most excellent work that is being done by the Primary hospital. UNIFICATION OF CHURCH SCHOOL SYSTEM Since our meeting of last April there has been a unification of the Church school system. We have had, heretofore, as you know, a Church board of education with a commission presiding over the colleges, institutes, and seminaries. Then we had a board of trustees presiding over Brigham Young University. Those two great branches of education are now united under the direction of Dr. Ernest L. Wilkinson, who is appointed administrator of the Church board of education, in addition to his presidency over Brigham Young University. Here I wish to say a word of commendation for the excellent service rendered by Commissioner Franklin L. West. For years he has devoted his entire time to the advancement of the institutes and seminaries and colleges of the Church. His heart has been in the work. He has expressed and radiated a fervent testimony of the divinity of the restored gospel, and his heart has been centered upon the instructing of the youth in the fundamentals and ideals of the Church of Jesus Christ. He retires with the confidence and blessing of the Authorities of the Church. Under his direction there has been a steady increase in the number enrolled in our institutes and seminaries. Last year there were enrolled 36,081 seminary students, 4202 institute students, 1140 in the schools of the islands of the Pacific, or a total of 41,423. I am glad to report to you that the Church is moving on with great rapidity and its influence being extended throughout the world. PASSING OF TWO GENERAL AUTHORITIES Since our last meeting, as already reported by Brother Anderson, two members of the General Authorities have passed away: Elder A. E. Bowen of the Council of the Twelve, and Elder Stayner Richards, Assistant to the Twelve--two stalwarts, clear in vision, sound in judgment; men loyal and true to their callings, to the ideals and doctrines of the Church! We pay respect to their memory. May their acts and services during their lifetime continue to reverberate for good in the hearts not only of all members of the Church, but of all those outside of the Church who were fortunate enough to come in contact with these two great men. COMMENDATION OF TEACHERS AND CHURCH GROUPS I have mentioned particularly the work of the Church among the youth, because the future of this world is largely determined, as Goethe says, "upon the opinions of its young men under five and twenty." If that be true, to awaken in the minds of the youth of the land a desire to achieve life's truest values is to render the greatest of all great services to our country. With this thought in mind, I commend the teachers in our public schools, who under present difficulties, are remaining true to their post of duty. Let us hope that they will continue to do so, and not go off on a tangent vainly seeking redress in unions, which will only aggravate a condition already regrettable. We have confidence in the teachers. They will be loyal to their profession, teaching the young to be loyal and true to our country, to love the best in life, rather than to seek that which leads to selfishness. This morning I want, also, to commend the Presiding Bishopric, the bishops of the wards, the presidencies of the Aaronic Priesthood quorums, for their efforts to bring into activity all the boys between the ages of 12 and 19, and what is equally commendable, they are reaching out to incorporate in this great spiritual uplift those who are classified as the "senior members of the Aaronic Priesthood," a group of potential power for great good, not only in the Church, but in the world, many of them leading businessmen and professional men. I commend you, brethren, for organizing these able men into groups that their influence may be felt for good. THE KINGDOM OF GOD OR CATASTROPHE With this in mind, I should like to give the following message, feeling as I do this morning, the potency and divinity of the gospel of Jesus Christ. With all my soul I feel this morning that there is truly " . . . none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12.) cannot see how men can doubt that. When I was a boy, there hung above the pulpit in the chapel in Huntsville, (Utah), a picture of President John Taylor. Under it in gold letters were these words: "The Kingdom of God or Nothing." In childhood I gave little if any thought to its implication, nor in youth did I try to comprehend its significance. This morning, with world conditions in mind--international suspicion and enmities--threatening war clouds--"man's inhumanity to man," and other discouraging aspects of human relationships, I am inclined to paraphrase that motto to read: "The kingdom of God or catastrophe." Tradition tells us that Peter, when on the Appian Way going toward Rome, was met by this question "Quo Vadis?" (Whither goest thou?) Were that question put to people today, many pessimists would answer that we are headed for catastrophe, if not total destruction. One has already said of Europe: "On the whole, during many generations, there has been a gradual decay of religious influence in European civilization. Each revival touches a lower peak than its predecessor, and each period of darkness, a lower depth. The average curve marks a steady fall in religious tone. Religion is tending to degenerate into a decent formula wherewith to embellish a comfortable life. "Russia officially sanctions irreligion, and approves a system of sex relations lower than any sanctioned by the lowest African tribe. "The paleolithic savages so far as we know had no such practices." (Man's Social Destiny, p. 23.) WHAT MEN THINK And Hayden, writes as follows: "Today, as never before, mankind is seeking social betterment. Today, as seldom if ever before, human society is threatened with disintegration, if not complete chaos. All the ancient evils of human relationships, injustice, selfishness, abuse of strength, become sinister and terrible when reinforced by the vast increase of material power. The soul of man cowers, starved and fearful, in the midst of a civilization grown too complex for any mind to visualize or to control. Joy and beauty fade from human living. Yet life, abundant, beauteous, laughing life, has been our age-long labor's end. What other conceivable worth has the mastery of the material world, the exploitation of the resources of nature and the creation of wealth, except as a basis for the release of the life of the spirit. We are witnessing either the crumbling of civilization under the weight of its material mechanism or the birth of a new organization with a spiritual ideal." Oswald Spengler thinks, and has so written: "This machine technics (referring to the world) will end with the Faustian civilization and one day will lie in fragments, forgotten--our railways and steamships as dead as the Roman roads and the Chinese Wall, our giant cities and skyscrapers in ruins like old Memphis and Babylon. The history of this technics is fast drawing to its inevitable close. It will be eaten up from within like the grand forms of any and every culture. When, and in what fashion, we know not." These references indicate what some men are thinking about the present-day conditions, and where such conditions are leading. Whether you accept them as true, or not, we must face the fact that we are in a changing world, and that the destruction of present-day civilization is a possibility. But, brothers and sisters, the Lord has something better in store for his children than complete destruction. Nations may be born, live, flourish for a time, and through internal corruption or other causes, die or be destroyed; but the human race will continue, and the kingdom of God be established. " . . . behold," said Daniel, "one like the Son of man came with the clouds of heaven, and came to the Ancient of days, . . . "And there was given him dominion and glory, and a kingdom, that all people, nations, and languages, should serve him: his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom that which shall not be destroyed." (Daniel 7:13-14.) The paramount need in the world today is a clearer understanding by human beings of moral and spiritual values, and a desire and determination to attain them. Never before in the history of the world has there been such a need of spiritual awakening. Unless there is such an awakening, there is danger of catastrophe among the nations of the world. But I feel this morning, with all my soul, that the sun of hope is rising. Many thinking men and women are recognizing the need of man's looking up towards the heavens instead of his groveling in response to his animal nature. One man commenting on this said, that "If all the destroyers of civilization could be eliminated, and the traits of the rest of us could be eliminated, an approach to the millennium some hundred years hence is by no means inconceivable." The Savior of the world said: "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." (John 10:10.) Whether we live miserably or live abundantly depends upon ourselves. Look introspectively, young man and young woman, and determine whether your innermost thoughts hold you on the animal plane or whether they tend to lift you into the mental, moral, and spiritual realm. And you be your own judge. Are you scheming to exploit another for personal gain? Are you justifying a lie? Are you entertaining the thought of robbing a young woman of her virtue? Are you, young woman, justifying an act of unchastity in exchange for the attention or favor of a male companion? If these or any other selfish sinful thoughts obsess you, then you are not following the path of the abundant life, but are contributing to the continuance of a sordid, unhappy world. FOUR FUNDAMENTAL TRUTHS In the brief sojourn of Jesus upon the earth, he marked clearly "the way the truth, and the life." (See Ibid., 14:6.) I shall take time this morning to call your attention to four incidents in his life, and mention probably, but of course, briefly, some connotations of those incidents, I repeat, because I feel and know, that through him and through him only, and by obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ, can we find happiness and salvation in this world and eternal life in the world to come. But I am thinking particularly of happiness and joy here and now, in this atomic age. First, recall His experience on the Mount of Temptation. In that experience we find taught the sublime necessity of subordinating the animal part of our natures to the spiritual. Man is a dual being--he is human, physical, of the earth, earthy, but he is, also, divine the offspring of God. Well might Carlyle say: "There are heights in man which reach the highest heaven, and depths that sink to the lowest hell--for are not both heaven and hell made out of him, everlasting miracle and mystery that he is?" "Beloved," said John, "now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2.) On the Mount of Temptation Jesus resisted every appeal to his physical appetite--" . . . command that these stones be made bread"; every appeal to his vanity;--"If thou be the son of God cast thyself down,"--from the pinnacle; every appeal to his selfishness and pride, every bribe offered by way of power and wealth in exchange for spiritual companionship with his Father. Resisting all he said to the tempter: "Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (Matthew 4:10.) VALUE OF NOBLE THOUGHTS Then during his brief mission among men, he emphasized the value of entertaining noble thoughts, what you think will determine your character, not alone what you do, and knowing that what one thinks about in one's secret moments determines what he is. He "decried the fatal effects of hatred and jealousy in the mind of the individual more vehemently than he did the acts that hate and jealousy prompt. Modern physiology and psychology confirm the practical wisdom of his teachings. These evil passions destroy a man's physical vigor and efficiency--they pervert his mental perceptions and render him incapable of resisting the temptations to commit acts of violence. They undermine his moral health. By insidious stages they transform the man who cherishes them into a criminal. On the other hand, if they are banished, and wholesome, kindly thoughts and emotions take their place, the man is incapable of crime. Right thoughts and feelings, if persistently kept in the forefront, inevitably lead to right acts." "A good tree bears good fruit; an evil tree, evil fruit." (See Matt. 7:17.) A good tree, he says, cannot bring forth evil fruit, nor an evil tree bring forth good fruit. That teaching lies at the very bottom of Christ's ethical teachings. His whole effort was to make the tree good, for when that end was achieved, the good qualities of the fruit were assured. Resist evil, members of the Church, young and old, and the devil will flee from you. The second incident I take from the Sermon on the Mount--a mountain in the vicinity of the Sea of Galilee. "No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon." (Ibid., 6:24.) Then he added, "But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Ibid., 6:33.) Do you believe that? I believe in every word that Jesus spoke and to me the teaching is applicable in my life and yours. Keeping in mind the fact that we are the children of our Father in heaven, when we seek the kingdom of God, first we become conscious of a new aim in life. To nourish and delight the body with its appetites and passions, as animals do, is no longer the chief end of mortal existence. Spiritual attainments not physical possessions become the chief goal. God is not viewed from the standpoint of what we may get from him, but what we may give to him. Only in the complete surrender of our inner life may we rise above the selfish sordid pull of nature. "Giving God the glory" is a sure means of subduing selfishness--a willingness on the part of the individual to keep God as the ideal in his life. Faith, therefore, is a foundation element in true character building; for an upright character is the result only of continued effort and right thinking, the effect of long-cherished associations with Godlike thoughts. He approaches nearest the Christ spirit who makes God the center of his thoughts; and he who can say in his heart, "Not my will, but thine be done," approaches most nearly the Christ ideal. TWO GREAT COMMANDMENTS The third incident is the scene with the Pharisees when a lawyer asked him: "Master, which is the great commandment in the law? "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. "This is the first and great commandment. "And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." (Ibid., 22:36-39.) For two thousand years, practically, men have considered this sublime doctrine as impractical--too ideal, they say, but if we sincerely believe in Christ's divinity, that he is "the way, the truth and the life" (see John 14:6), we cannot consistently doubt the applicability of his teachings to everyday life. True, there are weighty problems to solve--evils of the slums, the ever-recurring conflicts between labor and capital, drunkenness, prostitution, international hatreds, and a hundred other current questions. But if heeded, Christ's appeal for personal integrity, honor, fair-dealing, and love is basic in the proper solution of all these social and economic difficulties. CHANGE MEN'S HEARTS Most certainly before the world even approaches these ideals, men's hearts must be changed. Christ came into the world for that very purpose. The principal reason for preaching the gospel is to change men's hearts and lives, and you brethren who go from stake to stake and hear the evidence and testimony of those who have been converted recently through the stake missionary work, can testify how the conversion has changed their lives, as they have given their testimonies. By such conversion they bring peace and good will to the world instead of strife, suffering. On changing men's hearts Beverly Nichols, author of The Fool Hath Said, writes truly: "You can change human nature. No man who has felt in him the spirit of Christ even for a half minute can deny this truth, the one great truth in a world of little lies. You do change human nature, your own human nature if you surrender it to him.... Human nature must be changed on an enormous scale in the future unless the world is to be drowned in its own blood. And only Christ can change it." "Live in all things outside yourself by love," says Browning through Paracelsus, "and you shall have joy. This is the life of God; it ought to be our life. In him it was perfect, but in all created things, it is a lesson learned slowly and through difficulty." LESSON FOR YOUTH The fourth scene I name is with his disciples just before Gethsemane, when he said, "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world,.... "I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." (John 17:11, 15.) There is your lesson, young folk! You are in the midst of temptation, but you, as Christ on the Mount of Temptation, can rise above it. We can so live, it is possible, that as members of the Church we can say to all the world in the words of Thomas Nixon Carver: "Come, our way of life is best because it works best. Our people are efficient, prosperous and happy because we are a body who aid one another in the productive life. We waste none of our substance in vice, luxury, or ostentation. We do not dissipate our energy in brawling, gambling, or unwholesome habits. We conserve our resources of body and mind and devote them to the upbuilding of the kingdom of God, which is not a mystical but a real kingdom. We believe that obedience to God means obedience to the laws of nature, which are but the manifestations of His will; and we try by painstaking study to acquire the most complete and exact knowledge of that will, in order that we may conform ourselves to it." Yesterday, in this Tabernacle, seven or eight thousand women gathered--our mothers, members of the Relief Society. I wish the whole Church might have partaken of the spirit of that great conference. If so, we should have greater assurance in our souls that these ideals to which I have made brief mention will be effective throughout the world in bringing about a desire for greater spirituality, a greater need for the testimony that God lives, that his Son Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and that divine beings restored to the Prophet Joseph Smith the gospel of Jesus Christ as he established it in the Meridian of Time. I bear you that testimony this morning and pray that the influence of priesthood quorums, of auxiliaries, and of the missionaries may be more effective from this time on than ever before in leading the honest in heart of the whole world to turn their eyes upward to the worship of God, our eternal Father, and give them power to control the animal nature and live in the spirit, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 3, 1953 General Priesthood Meeting President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY My dear fellow workers: Just a few words in conclusion. I commend the appeal made by Brother Petersen, and once again ask that the bishops send the names to Elders Spencer Kimball and Mark E. Petersen of those girls and boys who leave their home towns to come to the centers. The Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association will help you, if you ask them to report to you, they have so written to me within the week. They are prepared to report on every girl in every ward in the Church. The Lord bless them and may he bless you bishops, in this service of saving souls. EXCURSIONS One other point--when you have excursions for young people, either to the temple or visiting a city, please see to it that you have registered or chartered busses, unless you come in your private cars. In either case be sure that the boys and girls are properly chaperoned. ON SOLICITING FUNDS Wards and branches should not solicit funds or try to raise money for their buildings in other places than under their own jurisdiction. We do not favor bidding on shovels used for breaking ground for church edifices. HOW TO OBTAIN A TESTIMONY A few years ago a stranger sat in the gallery opposite this pulpit and listened to the testimony of one of the elders of the Church. He accompanied a man who had been excommunicated from the Church. As they were walking out of the grounds, the stranger said, referring to the testimony of the speaker that day, "Do you know, I would give all I possess if I knew that what that speaker said today is true." Several of the brethren throughout this conference have emphasized the value of a testimony. Brother Sonne, particularly, laid stress upon the fact that that is the strength of the Church. It is. There is nothing which a man can possess in this world, which will bring more comfort, more hope and faith than a testimony of the existence of a Heavenly Father who loves us, or of the reality of Jesus Christ, his Only Begotten Son, that those two heavenly personages appeared to the Prophet Joseph and established the Church of Jesus Christ, and that men are officially authorized to represent Deity. Scientists are seeking that knowledge, some of them in vain. One of them recently declared that he had failed to find it, and had lost his faith even in God, and he is recognized as one of the great. You know, too, you who have read the book "Man Does Not Stand Alone," how impressively that great author leads the world to accept the existence of God's guidance. You who have heard missionaries return and bear witness that they know that this Gospel is true, will remember, probably, when you were boys, that you, too, would have given anything if you could so testify in truth. We have hundreds, perhaps thousands of young men here with us tonight. They are eagerly longing to have that testimony. Of its value, there is no question. Of its reality, too, there is no question in the minds of you leaders who possess an absolute knowledge of these things. But as I have listened to the testimonies, I have wondered how many of us are showing the boys how they may know. Are we sufficiently emphasizing the fact that they will never know it if they indulge in sin; they will never find it out if they live to gratify their passions and appetites. "My spirit shall not always strive with man." (Gen. 6:3; D&C 1:33; Moses 8:17.) His spirit will not dwell in unclean tabernacles. ("The Spirit of the Lord doth not dwell in unholy temples." Helaman 4:24.) And you cannot have a testimony without the Spirit of God. Young men, may I just name three steps that will aid you in obtaining this priceless possession, and then you follow them. On the night of Gethsemane, Jesus offered a great prayer. In the introduction he said this: "Father, thou hast heard me," and he thanked the Lord for it, and then he said: "And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3.) That is what a testimony means. To know God, and Jesus Christ, is to have life eternal, the great possession of eternal life. But the question arises--How may I know? Jesus has answered it, as he has shown the way in every aspect of life. One day, when he bore testimony to his divinity, that his teachings were of God, the Pharisees and others around him said, "How knoweth this man letters, having never learned?" How do we know (that was their question), that you are divine? And he gave a simple answer: "If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself." (John 7:15, 17.) There is a definite answer--a clear-cut statement, young man. "If ye will do the will, ye shall know." And, "to know God, and Jesus Christ, whom he has sent, is eternal life." However, there still remains unanswered the question: What is God's will? On one occasion several thousand people asked that question saying "Men and brethren, what shall we do?" It was on the Day of Pentecost, and Peter, who had received a testimony and instructions from the Savior, answered: "Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off even as many as the Lord our God shall call." (Acts 2:37-39.) Did you note that first sentence, that first condition? Repentance, which is a changing of life. If you have been swearing, stop it. That is what repentance means. If you have been disobeying father or mother, cease your disobedience. If you have been thinking impure thoughts, substitute them with noble ideas. Repentance means ever to change your thoughts and acts for the better. A lawyer, a Pharisee asked Christ, on one occasion, "Which is the great commandment in the law?" (Matt. 22:36.) And in answer, most profound, Jesus said, the first fundamental law is to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength." (Mark 12:30.) "And the second is like unto it Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." (Matt. 22:39.) And the Pharisee admitted that Jesus had spoken wisely. Analyze that and you will find that it means that instead of centering your thoughts on self, that God becomes the center of your existence; your thought is what you are going to do for him. You will pray to him at night. You will pray to him when you have some heavy task to perform. In your school work, pray. I know, you may not hear his voice always, and you may feel that he did not answer your question in your prayer, but in youth, keep praying, holding to the assurance that God is near you to help you. Christ has given us "all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature," (2 Peter 1:3-4) that is, the Holy Ghost promised by Peter, to live in this world and be a partaker of the divine nature of our Father in Heaven. I bear witness to you that that is a reality. Young man, never lose sight of it. And then, after Peter bore witness that that is a reality, he said this: " . . . add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; "And to knowledge temperance (note the words); and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; "And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity,"-- love. Now note the promise: "For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ,"--of the things of God. (2 Peter 1:5-8.) And to know God is eternal life. Those are divine steps, that lead back to the presence of God, our Eternal Father. May the young within the sound of our voices tonight, and all in the Church, follow those steps, and gain, each one the precious gift of a knowledge of the divinity of this work, I humbly pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 4, 1953 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY We have just listened to Elder Marion D. Hanks, whom, as I stated a few moments ago, you have this day sustained as a member of the First Council of the Seventy. Messages of appreciation of the television service rendered this forenoon to the people of the Northwest and on the Pacific Coast, still come in. Knowing your interest, I will read two more. This is from Seattle, Washington signed by Wilford H. Payne, Seattle Stake: "Please accept appreciation of the first television broadcast conference session to Saints and friends in the Northwest." From Los Angeles, signed by the President of the California Mission Bryan L. Bunker: "Televised conference messages received perfectly. Marvelous missionary opportunity in the future. Gratefully, President of the California Mission." And now at the conclusion of this great conference, may we express again the gratitude of our hearts to these men and companies, who have so graciously contributed of their means, with so little expense to the Church, to broadcast by radio and by television, the proceedings of this great conference. We want them to know that you and the Church generally deeply appreciate their co-operative efforts. EXPRESSES APPRECIATION We express gratitude, also, to the public press. I want to name especially the reporters on our papers, who have given such accurate and careful, complete accounts of the various meetings, speakers of our conference since last Wednesday, including the great Relief Society conference. We wish to express appreciation to the audience here in the Tabernacle, your responsiveness and your reverence, may it be an example to the audiences, to the congregations throughout the Church when they enter our places of worship: Very little moving about, no leaving of the services, I have been favorably impressed and commend you. We appreciate the co-operation of our city officials, their ready and efficient service, wherever it is needed; our traffic officers in handling the crowds. I have noticed new precautionary measures taken and the presence of the members of the police force on the corners, courteously, carefully protecting the crowds surrounding this block and throughout the city. We wish to mention again these beautiful flowers sent from Oahu and others furnished by our local florists. We appreciate our singers, and although we have already expressed it to each choir, I repeat again your appreciation of the Relief Society Singing Mothers, the members of the Swiss-German Choir, the Men's Chorus, who rendered such good service last evening in the Tabernacle, and finally, and of course not least, the members of our Tabernacle Choir. To all of these and to all others, including our ushers, we extend heartfelt appreciation. And now, this great conference draws to a close. Our anticipation, our hopes, our prayers that it might prove to be uplifting and inspirational, have been realized, and for that we are grateful to our heavenly Father, grateful for the inspiration he has given to the General Authorities who have spoken to you. What great messages they have given to us and to the world! Truly our hearts have been filled with gratitude that the Lord has magnified each one, to the end that his word has been spoken. In conclusion, may I leave just one closing thought. This Church of Jesus Christ commonly known as "Mormonism," is in the world to make people happy. Happiness is the end, really, of our existence. That happiness comes most effectively through service to our fellow men, and the Church is the most effective means in the world through which that service may be rendered. There is no happiness without peace. Today, the President of the United States, his Cabinet, Congress, the Senate the House of Representatives, the Judiciary, are all seeking peace in the world. Nations are longing for it Mothers and fathers, grandmothers and grandfathers who have children and grandchildren in the armed forces are praying daily that we might have peace. Peace is the message that came when the Savior was born a Babe in Bethlehem. It was heralded by the angel choir, singing, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men." (Luke 2:14.) "Peace," he said to his disciples toward the close of his ministry, "These things I have spoken unto you that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world." (John 16:33.) After his resurrection, when the doors were closed and the ten disciples were in session, as he greeted them, his first salutation was, "Peace be unto you." (Ibid., 20:21.) And eight days later, when the eleven were there, the same salutation, "Peace." (See Ibid., 20:26.) What a glorious thing it is, brethren and sisters, and this is my message: Peace cannot be found in external things. Peace comes from within. "There is no peace except by the triumph of principles," said the wise Emerson. Peace is within the individual soul. There is no peace when one's conscience is seared or when one is conscious of having committed some untoward act. There was certainly no peace in that young girl's soul who came and confessed the other night, fearful of the disgrace she had brought upon her loving parents, fearful of how she could again meet the world. She was experiencing the pangs of retribution--the antithesis of peace. Peace springs from righteousness in the soul, from upright living. If we are going about in the world to establish peace, let us begin at home, first with each individual. If you want peace tonight, remember yours is the responsibility to obtain it, and it is my responsibility, and it is your privilege and mine to attain it. Certainly, let us establish peace in our household. We are sending out missionaries, it is true, to proclaim peace and universal brotherhood. That is one great mission of our Church. May all the world recognize it and co-operate with us in spreading the glad news, the glad tidings of great joy. That is the paramount purpose of our missionary work. May God guide the boys and the girls, the young men and women who go out, paying their own expenses or receiving support from their parents, in thus proclaiming peace to a disturbed and unsettled world. What a glorious concept, but let us set the example by having peace in our homes. Paraphrasing the author of The Simple Life: "Let our homes become sanctuaries for ourselves." (I commend the appeal made by Elder Benson.) Sanctuaries! A sanctuary is where we have peace. May our homes become warm nests where children may be protected and grow into noble men and women; where love may find privacy, old age repose, prayer an altar, and the nation a sure source of strength and perpetuity. With all my soul at the close of this great, inspirational conference, my dear fellow workers, I say God bless you, that in your hearts and in your homes you may have peace. I say to all our friends who have been listening in, may the peace that comes from obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ find lodgment in your hearts, through your acceptance of the truth. May the spirit of peace be poured out upon all nations, that the threatening clouds of destruction may be dissipated, and the sunshine of peace shine once more all over the world, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. April 3, 1954 General Priesthood Meeting President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY We have several notes here should be considered by presiding officers in stakes and wards, in addition to those already mentioned in the message given by the Bishopric and by the counselors in the Presidency. One of these I will mention. The others we can carry over. Will the presidencies of stakes at your quarterly conference please present to the visiting General Authorities any problems which you have that are current, or might he current within a few days or weeks. Let the Brethren who are on the ground consider these problems with you. It may be the reorganization of a bishopric, the appointment of high councilmen, or the reorganization of a high council. Not infrequently we find before us correspondence from stakes in which quarterly conference was held just the week before our Thursday meeting, problems which should have been taken up with the visiting Brethren. If you will follow that little suggestion it will expedite matters in the Presidency's office, which are accumulating. As I contemplate the vast audience of Priesthood tonight, assembled in the various places named at the opening of the meeting, and realize the potency and power of this great body of men, I am overwhelmed. As I sat in the audience and listened to the message given so impressively by the Bishopric, and so successfully by the men and women who produced that film, I felt my feelings swell within my breast as to the possibility of the good that will be done, and can be done, by these fifteen or twenty or twenty-five thousand men of the Priesthood who are worshipping tonight. "There's surely somewhere a lowly place In earth's harvest fields so wide, Where I may labor thro' life's short day For Jesus, the Crucified; So trusting my all to Thy tender care, And knowing Thou lovest me, I'll do Thy will with a heart sincere, I'll be what you want me to be." I hope everybody who sang that verse applied it to himself, and in a way made a sacred vow to do better in the future than in the past, and there cam mind five fundamental virtues t should be associated with that will. I will just name them. First is faith,--faith in God the Father, in His Son, faith in our fellow men. The second is honesty, a childish sincerity, honest in dealing with Our fellow men. It is the foundation of all character. If you offer prayer at night and you have dealt dishonestly with your fellows during the day, I rather think that as the king in Hamlet, your words fly up but your thoughts remain below; but if you have dealt honestly, the Lord will hear and answer your true feelings. The third is loyalty. It is a wonderful principle. A true friend is loyal. Many acquaintances are not, and may not be. Be loyal to the Priesthood. Be loyal to your wives and to your families, loyal to your friends. I cannot think that the Spirit of God will strive with a man who in any way helps to break up another man's family. I care not what seeming attraction may be between him and the wife of the other man. God will withdraw his Spirit from such a one. Do you know that five or six letters that have come just this week from broken-hearted wives of some men who are disillusioned with the Church have their origin in dishonest dealings with men, or fancied dishonest dealings of brethren, and three of them from broken-hearted wives who are pleading for something to be said to have their husbands brought to recall what it means to be loyal to covenants made in the House of the Lord. Fourth, there springs from that chastity. All these 25,000 men, clean. That means something in this old world. Fifth, in the heart of each one a willingness, indeed, a desire, to serve their fellow men. I will say no more, but I feel impressed to ask you, and all other listening in to repeat with me the First Article of Faith, and the Thirteenth Article of Faith, and let us say it slowly, and think of each word as we say it. You recall the first: "We believe in God, he Eternal Father, and in His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost." The Thirteenth: "We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed, we ma say that we follow the admonition of Paul--We believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured man things, and hope to be able to endure all things. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." Will you brethren? The first, (The brethren repeated the First Article of Faith.) Thirteenth. (The brethren then repeated the Thirteenth Article of Faith.) May inspiration from on high and the constant guidance of the Holy Spirit enable each of us to accentuate that belief by radiating in our daily lives the ideals and principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, I earnestly pray in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. April 4, 1954 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY The following I take from Section 4 of the Doctrine and Covenants. It was recorded in 1829. "Now behold a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. "Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind strength, that ye may stand blamed before God at the last day. "Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; . "And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work." (D. & C. 4:1-3; 5.) When that revelation was given to the Prophet Joseph Smith, he was twenty-three years of age. The Book of Mormon was not yet published; no man had been ordained to the priesthood. The Church was not organized; yet the statement was made and written without qualification that " . . . a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men." Another significant feature of this revelation, and others given about the same period, is the naming of essential qualifications of those who were to participate in the bringing about of this marvelous work. These qualifications were not the possession of wealth, not social distinction, not political preferment, not military achievement, not nobility of birth; but a desire to serve God with all your "heart, mind, and strength"--spiritual qualities that contribute to nobility of soul. I repeat: no popularity, no wealth, no theological training in Church government--yet a marvelous work was about to come forth among the children of men. Manifestly, some higher power was operating to bring about this marvelous work other than mere human and material means. In passing, it is interesting to note that about that same period Robert Owen of England, a man of exceptional ability, a religious person, decried the departure of the churches from the simple teachings of Jesus. He was dissatisfied also with economic conditions of that time, for he saw little children, indeed he had some working in his own factories, who were only eight and ten years of age. He introduced the law which required the prohibition of little children from working at night and limited others to ten hours a day. He was desirous of establishing conditions which would at least ameliorate some of these conditions which were almost unbearable in society at that time. He won the confidence of leaders, and the Duke of Kent (Queen Victoria's father) became his patron. With a fortune in his hand, he came to the new world about 1823. He established what he hoped would be an ideal society. Within three years he had lost two hundred thousand dollars, and his experiment failed. Joseph Smith had no such royal patron, no potentially influential friends. Over one hundred years have passed, and the work of the Church today is stronger and more flourishing than ever before. This morning I feel impressed to refer briefly to the missionary phase of this "marvelous work." Recent visits to the various missions of the world have impressed me more deeply than ever with the importance and magnitude of the Church, and with its responsibility to make more potent the proclaimIng of the gospel of Jesus Christ. "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matthew 28:19-20.) Such was the charge given by the risen Lord to his authorized disciples over nineteen hundreds years ago! Such is the charge given by the risen Lord to his authorized servants today. In the corresponding account given by Mark the passage reads: "Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. "He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned," or condemned. (Mark 16:15-16.) In both these records you will note two fundamental messages are clearly stated: First: The responsibility to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world is explicitly given to those who were called and ordained Apostles of the Lord. Second: The message implied by Matthew and stated definitely by Mark that, to use Peter's words, . . . there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12.) In these passages are also intimated, if not clearly stated, that there are two great divisions in the Church of Jesus Christ. First is the missionary, and the second, organization for instruction, mutual edification, and service. Four conditions contribute to the intensifying of the thought or sense of responsibility of the Church. First of these are modem means of transportation. These have made practically all nations neighbors. When the Twelve Apostles of old received the admonition from the Lord to go into all the world to preach the gospel, they had, to quote Beverley Nichols, "only the wind to bear them over the seas, only a few pence in their pocket but a shining faith in their hearts. They fell far short of their ideal, their words were twisted and mocked, and false temples were built over their bones in praise of a Christ they would have rejected. And yet, by the light of their inspiration, many of the world's loveliest things were created, and many of the world's finest minds inspired." Today "God has given us the power of whispering across space, of transmitting our thoughts from one end of the earth to another." Geographical conditions or distances are just the same, but in point of time New York is as near to the Church headquarters as Provo was when President Brigham Young traveled by horses and whitetop wagon. London is nearer than Fillmore; South Africa, closer than St. George! What a marvelous age we are living in! Second, another condition that intensifies the importance and magnitude of the Church in its responsibility to the peoples of the world is the willingness of men and women to consecrate their time, their means, and their ability to the advancement of the kingdom of God. No one can associate intimately with mission presidents and with missionaries without being filled with commendation and praise for their sincerity, their untiring energy, their concern for their associates, and or their unselfish devotion to the proclamation of peace and good will. And the same is true of other men in various occupations and callings throughout the Church. Even more worthy of admiration, meriting more highly the gratitude of the many blessed by their intelligent, loving service, and entire forgetfulness of themselves are our wives and mothers. The inestimable work they do in the missionary field, as in the home, too seldom receives due recognition and praise. I have profound respect, for example, for the mission president's wife who, while showing her deepest tenderness in helping her husband to do his duty, yet in her own sphere, by intelligent, superb planning and unselfish service, gives to any habitation the true spirit of home; and by tender admonition and encouragement, lightens the heart of homesick elders with the assurance that they can and will succeed. Third, the fulfilment of prophecies made over a hundred years ago regarding the growth of the Church brings forcibly to our minds the responsibility of proclaiming the truth. Let us take a glimpse at what the Church has accomplished since its humble beginning in 1830. There have been since that time 67,615 missionaries set apart, at an approximate cost to them and their families of $54,500,000.00. Within the last fifty years the number of missions in the Church has doubled from twenty-one to forty-two today, with 1754 branches. In addition to what the individuals have spent In missionary work, the Church between 1910 and 1937, inclusive, expended $18,620,028.00. From 1938 to 1953, inclusive, $34,026,640.00, making a total from Church funds of $52,646,668.00. This does not include what the Church spent between the years 1830 and 1910. I could not get those figures. So that is a total amount in dollars expended for missionary service of $107,146,668.00. Just let your mind go back now to the beginning before there was a Church organized, before the Book of Mormon was published, and think how truly was the word spoken that a marvelous work and a wonder was about to come forth. A half century ago there were comparatively few chapels in the missions owned by the Church. Today there are 410 completed in the United States, Canada, Mexico, and Hawaii, at a cost of $8,488,431.00. There are 206 completed In foreign lands at a cost of $4,525,335.00. There are 142 buildings now under construction in the missions at a cost of $6,058,450.00. Besides these mission chapels, there are thirty-three mission homes purchased at a cost of over $1,000,000.00. At the turn of the century there were forty-five stakes, with approximately 550 wards. Today there are 212 stakes with 1683 wards and 232 independent branches. In addition to this, there are 112 seminary and institute buildings completed at a cost of $2,788,798.00; Brigham Young University buildings, $9,470,000.00, or a total cost of $32,464,438.00. Now note in the wards and stakes, although this is not directly on my theme, we have nearly 1300 chapels, completed at an original cost of $76,196,505.00; 351 others under construction at a cost of $34,916,707.00; a total cost for ward and stake buildings of $111,113,205.00; or a grand total for Church buildings of $143,577,643.00. Here is another phase of Church work--baptisms for those who did not have a chance to hear the gospel before they died. As of December 31, 1953, there had been performed a total of 17,357,931 baptisms, and a total number of endowments of 15,035,700. A marvelous work and a wonder! Creditable chapels are now found in Finland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, France, Germany, Belgium, Holland, Switzerland, and throughout the British Empire. Members in Johannesburg are waiting for plans to build a modern chapel on a very suitable lot already secured for that purpose. On our recent tour to South America we had the pleasure of laying the cornerstone of a chapel in Montevideo, which would be a credit to any ward in the Church, with its chapel, recreation hall, and classrooms. Other sites are already chosen throughout the mission. At Durban, there will be a chapel, recreation hall, and classrooms ready for dedication some time next month. In the fastest growing city in the world, so they told us--Sao Paulo--where the price of a lot for a chapel is almost prohibitive, the president of the mission is authorized to see what he can do to find a suitable building lot and make his recommendation for a flourishing branch in that great city of over three million. Other branches in Brazil are calling for suitable accommodations. In the Argentine Mission we visited six chapels near Buenos Aires, in fact, in that city. Though it was merely an investigating tour, we found at each place from fifty to one hundred and fifty members waiting to greet us. Ever since its organization, the Panama Branch in the Central American Mission has been the recipient of the hospitality of Rabbi Nathan Witkins and the members of the Jewish Church who shared their meeting accommodations with our Church members. Here an active, energetic group merit a meeting place of their own. We express appreciation of the co-operation of this Jewish group who entertained us while we were there visiting officially. In Guatemala there is already being completed a chapel with its tile flooring and oak finish at such a reasonable cost as would make any ward in the Church envious. Commendable progress is being made throughout Mexico in regards to furnishing suitable houses of worship. Brethren and sisters, I cite these few conditions and references not only by way of commendation to the officers and members of these various missions, but for the purpose of calling your attention to this important question: Fourth, if within a little more than a century this Church could achieve such success in numbers, wealth, and influence, how much more, comparatively speaking, might we accomplish within the next half century with a million and a half loyal members, with comparative prosperity attending our efforts, and with a better understanding in the minds of the intelligent, well-informed people as to the purposes and aims of the Church of Jesus Christ? Ours is the responsibility, greater than ever before, to proclaim: 1. That the Church is divinely established by the appearance of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ to the Prophet Joseph Smith, and that divine through the priesthood is given to represent Deity in establishing Christ's Church upon the earth. 2. That its assigned responsibility is to fulfil the admonition of Jesus to his Apostles to "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in he name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: "Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world." (Matt. 28:19-20.) 3. To proclaim peace and good will unto all mankind. 4. To exert every effort, and all means within our reach to make evil-thinking men good, good men better, and all people happier. 5. To proclaim the truth that each individual is a child of God and important in his sight; that he is entitled to freedom of thought, freedom of speech, freedom of assembly; that he has the right to worship God according to the dictates of his conscience. In this positive declaration, we imply that organizations or churches which deprive the individual of these inherent rights are not in harmony with God's will nor with his revealed word. Finally, ours is the responsibility to make available to the tens of thousands of faithful members throughout the foreign missions the privilege of participating in the eternal nature of covenants and ceremonies. Not counting Kirtland and Nauvoo, eight temples have been completed and are now in use, with two more under construction at a total cost of $13,758,750.00. One of our greatest responsibilities is to make accessible to faithful members of the Church in foreign lands suitable houses of the Lord. Tens of thousands of them are not able to come where temples are, and where they receive the blessings of the endowment, to have sealed to them their wives and their children for time and all eternity. Ours is the duty to carry the temple to them. It may not be expensive, but it will be complete, and thus will churches be built and strengthened throughout the world. On this Sunday morning, may we demonstrate our knowledge of the reality of Christ's existence and our love for the gospel by renewed service to his Church, by greater kindness and forbearance toward our associates, and by exercising more charity for the honest in heart the world over. In the words of President John Taylor, and radiating his same spirit, we say to the priesthood throughout the world: "Go to every tribe and nation; Visit every land and clime; Sound to all the proclamation; Tell to all the truth sublime; That the gospel, Does in ancient glory shine." God give us this power and the spirit of our callings in rich abundance I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. April 6, 1954 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. MCKAY Now, my brethren and sisters, the hour is drawing to a close, wherein our great conference gathering will soon have become an event of the past. The sessions themselves will be mere history, but the messages, we hope, will ever remain on the tablets of our memories and will become moving factors in our daily lives. There are one or two features I should like to name before announcing the closing hymn and benediction. It has been most gratifying to see the number of young people, college boys and girls, who have attended these sessions. I refer not only to the 350 or 400 students from Brigham Young University but to others with them, who have taken places throughout the congregation and who have manifested an interest in spiritual things. This is most encouraging. They have come voluntarily showing their eagerness to know something about the real things of life. It has been most gratifying to note how the Spirit of the Lord has directed the remarks of members of the Council of the Twelve, the Assistants, the Seventy, and the Bishopric, and how frequently and impressively the messages have been directed to the young folks. We love them. We have confidence in them. We hope the messages will be read by others whom they have represented. And now in conclusion I should like to say just one word or two and associate the thoughts with a very remarkable saying Of the Savior. He repeated it several times. It is a paradoxical statement. "He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." That form is recorded in the tenth chapter of Matthew, and over in the sixteenth chapter the Savior repeats it again in a little different way: "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." The pith of that paradox is found in the use of the word life. You cannot take it literally, that you are spending your life, your mortal life, that you are going to sacrifice your life in mortality, but it rather suggests two planes in life: the baser and the higher, the animal and the spiritual. You can apply it, with those two ideas in mind, in any phase of our activity. In closing this conference I should like to apply it in two phases. First, either saving our lives or losing them in the home. Children may lose their lives in attempting to save them. The home is the foundation of society. It is a sacred institution to members of the Church of Christ. We believe in the eternity of the marriage covenant, in harmony in the home. Indeed our ideal is to have home just a little taste of heaven. Children constitute a very important part of the Latter-day Saint home. We believe in obedience of children to parents. Young people in their teens particularly, strike out to find pleasure, to save themselves, to seek to gratify desire; they seek to achieve some sensation, some thrill, which may or may not be in harmony with the wishes of the parents. If out of harmony with the desire and advice of the parents, then those children seek to save themselves and in so doing may lose the happiness they seek. Indeed, we find it applicable even among friends. One of our writers, not called a poet, but he is a very good, practical philosopher, Rotarian, said, and this is to you young people: "You ought to be true for the sake of the folks Who believe you are true. If you're false to yourself, be the blemish but small, You have injured your friends; you've been false to them all." And this is better: "You ought to be fine for the sake of the folks Who think you are fine. If others have faith in you, doubly you're bound To stick to the line. It's not only on you that dishonor descends: You can't hurt yourself without hurting your friends." Can you lose yourself for the good of your friends? If so, you will be happy. Higher than that, can you lose your impulses, your desires, or the love you have for your parents? If so, you will save your life and your home. Husbands, that applies to you. Very frequently discords arise in the home because husbands desire to save their own dignity and have their own way, have their own wishes carried out. Wives desire the same. Some exercise their prerogative to have the last word. Husbands are sometimes even more eager to have it than wives. Each really is trying to save himself or herself, and instead of having harmony and peace in the home there arises discord. Instead of saving the life of harmony in the home, you lose it, merely because you are seeking to save your own selfish life, or have your own selfish way. Better to lose that desire. Say nothing, and in losing your desire and that feeling of enmity, of ruling of governing, you say nothing, and you gain your life in the home. In a broader sense you can apply that to life. Browning in that great poem "Paracelsus" illustrates that same truth. You remember how he started out to save himself, that is, to gain knowledge as a great scientist with the intention of handing it down haughtily to the people. Festus, his friend, said, "You had better not withdraw from the people." That is the great benefactor. But Paracelsus was haughty. He was proud. When Festus warned him, Paracelsus answered, saying, "Festus, are there not two experiences in he life of a diver? One, when a beggar he prepares to plunge, one when a prince who rises with his pearls. Festus, I plunge." His friend said, "We await you when you rise." Years afterwards, after a life of scientific inquiry, and a successful life, his friend found him on his deathbed in a Greek conjurer's house. Without going into the story I will merely say, Paracelsus recognizing his friend, said: "Festus, I have found the secret of life." "What is it? All that I have depends on that answer. And the great philosopher said: "It is this: Live in all things outside yourself by love. That was the life of God. It ought to be our life." In harmony with that, I read what the Prophet Joseph said, quoting the passage with which our conference opened: "Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. "Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work;. . . "And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. "Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence." (D. & C. 4:2-3,5-6.) "He that would save his life" in the home, in business, in society, in politics, and particularly in association with his fellow men should lose that life for the good of others. "He that will lose his life for my sake shall find it." (See Matt. 16:25.) God bless you stake presidents, presidencies, high councilmen, bishoprics of wards, members of Melchizedek Priesthood quorums, Aaronic Priesthood quorums, members of the auxiliary organizations--Relief Society, Sunday School, Young Menus and Young Women's Mutual Associations, Primary Associations. Now I have included the entire membership of the Church, excepting the little babes. I repeat, God bless you that the spirit of this great conference may go with you to bring peace into your hearts as you lose yourselves for the good of others; harmony in your homes as you curtail that impetuous tendency to cause discord, as you control that tongue and do not say the thing that hurts. God bless the youth throughout the world, members of the Church particularly, that they may seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, that all else may be added unto them, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 1, 1954 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY Beloved brethren and sisters: Few of you realize the great responsibility of this moment. I humbly Seek your sympathetic and prayerful assistance, and above all the guiding influence of the Spirit of the Lord. At this, the opening Session of the 125th semi-annual conference of the Church, it gives me great satisfaction and Joy, in behalf of the General Authorities of the Church, to extend a welcome to you stake presidencies, bishoprics, and to all members who are present at this service here in the Tabernacle and in other groups on Temple Square, and to those listening in by radio and television. May the spirit of unity and oneness characterize this great session this morning. You join me, I am sure, when we extend love and greetings to members of the Church and to interested, loyal friends throughout the world, in Canada and Mexico; in Europe, South Africa, South America, New Zealand, Australia, the Polynesian Islands, in Japan and China, Greenland, and Iceland, to groups in Korea and the Philippines, on Guam, and other islands of the Pacific. May the spirit of this conference be felt by them through the mysterious medium of soul communion, even before they read the minutes of our great conference. Among the purposes of these general conferences are, in summary, as follows: (1) To inform the membership of general conditions--whether the Church is progressing or retrogressing, economically, ecclesiastically, or spiritually. (2) To commend true merit. (3) To express gratitude for divine guidance. (4) To give instruction in principles, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel." (5) To proclaim the restoration, with divine authority to administer in all the ordinances of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and to declare, quoting the Apostle Peter, that "there is none other name under heaven given among men" than Jesus Christ "whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12.) (6) To admonish and inspire to continue in greater activity. When thinking and praying in anticipation of this moment, I felt impreSSed to say a word about what the Church is doing to help parents in rearing their children, having in mind particularly the teenagers of our Church. In a very familiar poem a mother says to her son: "Do you know that your soul is of my soul such a part, That you seem to be fibre and core of my heart?" * * * * Be yours then the task, if task it should be, To force the proud world to do homage to me, Be sure it will say, when its verdict you've won, She reaped as she sowed, Lo! this is her son." --Margaret Johnston Graflin I should like to say a word in commendation of the groups in the Church who are helping you mothers and fathers to have your children bring you honor. Before doing that, however, I should like to make a brief report to you of conditions. Through the loyalty and faithfulness of the members of the Church in payIng tithes and offerings, by income from investments and generous contributions from well-wishing, devoted friends, the Church is entirely out of debt, strong financially, and working under a budget carefully planned to meet all obligations incurred in the great building program of chapels, temples, recreation halls, classrooms, throughout the Organized stakes and missions of the world. We commend all of you, and each of you, for your faithfulness in thus contributing to the finances of the Church, without which it would be impossible to supply the needs of a rapidly increasing membership. We have just heard the report given by the Clerk of the Conference of the organization of new wards, branches, and stakes during the last six months. The growth of the Church at home and abroad is most encouraging. With this increase in membership are evidences of increased spirituality. Spirituality results in the greatest good when expressed in acts, not merely in day dreams. " . . . shew me thy faith without thy works," said James, "and I will shew thee my faith by my works." (James 2:18.) The great majority of the members of the Church are seeking first the kingdom of God and his righteousness. This is shown, first in contributions in cash and labor in building four hundred chapels at an average cost last year of $80,000 each. In addition to this, the people of Southern California, for example, have contributed in cash toward the building and furnishing of the Los Angeles Temple, over one million dollars. On January 2, 1952, there was a meeting called of all stake presidencies in the Southern California district, at which those present voted unanimously to raise a million dollars to be paid as the building progressed. Today we are pleased to report that pledges for that amount and more have been fulfilled. Another example of spirituality is the missionary work. There are at present 3457 full-time missionaries laboring in the forty-three missions, supported financially either by themselves or by their parents. There are 7188 missionaries in organized stakes, making a total number of missionaries paying their own expenses of 10,645. Melchizedek Priesthood quorum work has never been more effective. The Senior Aaronic Priesthood activity is giving results unprecedented. The female Relief Society, the first auxiliary organized in the Church, is carrying on at its usual high standards, its influence extending beyond the boundaries of the Church as exemplified by the recent trip abroad by its worthy president, Sister Belle Smith Spafford, accompanied by Sister Marba C. Josephson of the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association. All of you should read their reports. To all who are working devotedly in the Melchizedek Priesthood quorums, and in the Relief Society, we extend our love, confidence, and commendation. I should like to commend, having in mind this Church work with teenagers, the Presiding Bishopric, the ward bishoprics, and the auxiliary general superintendents, general presidencies, and general boards for their earnest and most effective effort to guide the youth of the Church. Perhaps the Church could do more for the delinquents who get into the clutches of the law, but I feel impressed to refer to agencies working to prevent young people from becoming delinquents. For approximately three thousand years men have read the admonition: "Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." (Prov. 22:6.) The word train means "to lead, or to direct the growth of, to form by, instruction, discipline, drill, to educate. Three groups carry the responsibility of training children: First, the family; second, the Church; third, the state. The most important of these is the family. By divine edict the Lord has placed upon parents the responsibility, first to teach the doctrine of repentance; second, faith in Christ, the Son of the living God; third, baptism and confirmation; fourth, to teach children to pray; fifth, to teach children to walk uprightly before the Lord. Parents who shirk this responsibility will have to answer for the sin of neglect. A newborn babe is the most helpless creature in the world. The protecting care of parenthood is essential to its survival, as well as its growth. It must be led and directed by instruction, discipline, drill, and proper education. Our most precious possessions are not our abundant harvests, nor our orchards yielding luscious fruit, nor our waterways, nor our million miles of paved highways, nor our oil wells, nor our rich mines of copper, silver and gold, nor even of uranium--our most precious possessions, our treasures of eternity, are our children. These merit and should receive our greatest and our most constant care and guidance. Daniel Webster was right when he said: "If we work upon marble, it will perish; If we work upon brass, time will efface it; If we rear temples, they will crumble into dust; But if we work upon immortal souls, If we imbue them with principles, With the just fear of the Creator and love of fellow men, We engrave on those tablets something which will brighten eternity." The bringing of children into the world bears with it great responsibilities and opens to view the noblest purpose of life, namely, a co-partnership with deity "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (Moses 1:39.) The most effective way to teach is by example. It is the child's nature to be active. It is the duty of the parents and of guardians so to direct that activity, as to lead children to know God's love, and the happiness found in obedience to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Parents should ever keep in mind that admonition is of much more avail when example conforms to the admonition given. You will be gratified, and thinking men generally will be interested, to know what the Aaronic Priesthood quorums and the auxiliary boards are doing in a practical way to assist you parents to train your children to become upright in character, loyal citizens of their country, and faithful members of the Church. Recently I sent a letter to the presidency of the Aaronic Priesthood, to the general superintendencies of the Sunday School and YMMIA, and to the general presidencies of the YWMIA and to the Primary--the five groups dealing directly with the young people of the Church. In that letter I inquired as to how effectively they are attempting to contact all children and youth in these great organizations. Here are some of the headings of that letter: First, give your total membership, your total enrolment; second, give the percent of those who should or might be enrolled; third, method or methods of contacting the indifferent; fourth, how may parents render more effective co-operation; and fifth, what have been your outstanding achievements during 1953 and 1954. In the Aaronic Priesthood, we learned that they have an enrolment for the young men under twenty-one of 63,641. The percent of the enrolment of the total members that should be enrolled, 92.79. In the Sunday School, they have an enrolment of 983,025; 91 percent of those who should be enrolled. They had a weekly attendance of 381,656, or 35.5 percent of the total membership of the Church. The Young Men's Mutual, May 31, 1953, had an enrolment of 129,528, and on a corresponding day this year, 140,754; an average weekly attendance of 88,546. Every boy or man between the ages of twelve and twenty-four is enrolled in that organization, every one; 31,856 of these are enrolled in scouting; 25,368 are enrolled as Explorers. The Young Women's enrolment for 1953 was 124,079 plus visitors of 11,342. To date (note the increase) the enrolment is 134,303, with a weekly average of visitors of 10,384, or a total of 144,676, and the average attendance is 64% of those enrolled. One cannot help having a pretty warm spot in one's heart for these teenagers in Mutual and Sunday School. All members of the Church from the ages of twelve to twenty-five in the Young Women's are enrolled, and others. Now we enter the Primary. The total number of children whose lives were touched by Primary in '52-53--200,000; 83% of the children of the Church of Primary age are enrolled; 69% of the children enrolled are attending Primary; 142,745 children are enrolled in the Stakes; 6,841 non-member children are enrolled in the stakes; 68% of the children enrolled are in attendance each week at Primary; 13,000 Latter-day Saint children are enrolled in the missions. This has increased on an average of 1,000 each year for the last five years. The Primary Association has assumed the direction of scouting for the eleven-year-old boys. According to a survey made in March, 92% of the eleven-year-old boys were enrolled in the Guide Patrols; 109 stakes, six missions have organized Cub Scout dens and packs since the Primary Association has sponsored the Cub scouting as requested by the First Presidency. Now, besides these auxiliaries and quorums, we have our seminaries. The total enrolment for seminaries and institutes in 1953 was 36,074; 1954--39,022. The average attendance for seminaries in '54, 32,226, or 94% of the enrolment. That speaks well for our students in colleges and high schools. As an illustration of the influence of the seminaries upon teenagers, and also as a lesson in cooperation of parents, I shall take the time to quote to you the following, taken from the September-October 1954, issue of a national magazine, not of our Church, Faith Today. The article is entitled "Teenage Frontier," written by Leola Anderson, for a copy of which I am indebted to President Ernest Wilkinson [of Brigham Young University]. It is designated by one of the editors as "one of the most heartening signs of the times." Here are a few quotations from it: "The luminous hands of the clock beside the boy's bed point to 5:45 a.m. The alarm goes off. It has been raining all night; the air outside is cold and wet--and still black. "Groggily the boy gropes about for the button to shut off the noise. Resolutely he swings his feet out onto the cold floor. For a moment he drops his tired face into his hands. It was 12:30 last night before he finished sweeping at the supermarket, and 1 o'clock when he got home to bed. It has been like that all week. In his drooping body is a desperate urge to slip back into bed. "That's why he stands up quickly and moves on into the shower. Because this morning and every school morning he drives seven miles to attend a class at 7 o'clock. It is a very special class, which he would not think of missing, so long as he is able to stand. "What kind of class is it? A Bible-study class. "Would you find it incredible that this boy is one of 1,700 typical, fun-loving teenagers who get up every morning to attend a 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Bible class before going on to high school? They do it without credit, without coercion, and often against tremendous odds. They do it five days a week, nine months a year, despite day-light-saving time. "Furthermore, so great is the demand for this early morning instruction that next September (that's this month) 90 classes will open to meet the requests of 2,500 students in Southern California alone. "Incredible? Not at all. This has been going on in the Los Angeles area for the last four years. It is a part of the program of daily religious education offered by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a program which last year served 38,000 young men and women in seven western states and in Canada and Mexico. "With the Bible as text, emphasis is placed on a practical application of its teachings to the lives of youth. What better blueprint for living was ever recorded than that preserved by the prophets? The answers to the questions of modern youth, as uncertainties pile up on them in an increasingly chaotic world, are all found in the experience of the past. "This is the key to why these young people leave cosy, warm beds on chill winter mornings to attend daily classes that are not accepted either high school graduation or college entrance credit. "Neither are these selected students. They are not even all members of the same church. There's a piquant little redhead in one class who answered our question this way: 'No, I'm not a Mormon. I simply couldn't understand why my best friend insisted on getting up so early to come down here, so I came along one morning for laughs. I got so interested I asked to register. I haven't missed day since!' "No, they are not selected excepting by their own desire to learn. They represent a cross-section of young America with all its problems. They are average kids looking for a defense against the grim spectre of fear and destruction that now shrouds their future. "And how do these Bible teachers meet that challenge? "By teaching respect for the inspired Constitution of the United States with its God-given liberty, regard for the rights of others, and love for all mankind. By showing the wisdom of avoiding the mistakes of the past, and fostering a dynamic and living faith in God and the ultimate triumph of good. All this through daily basic instruction in the Master's written word. "Teachers are also meeting the challenge by putting into the hands of the young people the tools of self-government and teaching them their use, thus preparing them for leadership, when in the proceSs of inexorable time they will become our leaders. "In the words of one vivacious brunette, president of her class: 'Every senior student gets a turn being a class officer. We learn confidence in ourselves and how to do the job. Besides, when you're responsible for the whole class, it makes you think, twice before you make a decision. "This teamwork (referring to Bible class and to the baseball team practicing in Church recreation hall after schoOl particularly), one student says, 'This teamwork is also noticeable in the group spirit of the classroom.' "The youth of America are studying together, singing together, praying together, and loving it. In one class, five nationalities-White Russian, Mexican, Italian, Greek, and American--work as one. "There is a carry-over, too, with the students. Bill Kemsley, a husky youth, was graduated last June from the first three-year course. Bill drove sixteen miles each morning from his home in San Fernando to a North Hollywood class. He transported a carload of students to class and back to San Fernando. The second year he transferred to North Hollywood High. "'I wanted to get away from my old companions,' he said seriously. 'They weren't bad fellows, you understand, but I guess my standards had changed. Two of those boys are in jail now,' he added thoughtfully. "Parents, too, no longer show inertia where this program is concerned. Their comments read like a before-and-after commercial: I used to have such a time getting Mary out of bed in the morning. Now she gets me up!'. . . "And what is being done," concludes the author, "in Southern California to open a frontier for youth to live and learn the fundamentals of peace and progress could be duplicated anywhere in America by any similar group." To the question in that letter sent to the auxiliaries, "How may parents render more effective co-operation?" came answers common to every article: First, parents should become acquainted with lessons and plans of the organization; second, take rather than send their children; third, set a proper example. In conclusion, parents, if you would have your children pray, then teach them to pray in the home. If you would have your children refrain from taking the name of God in vain, then let them never hear profanity pass your lips. If you would have your teenagers sense the value of keeping themselves true to their future husbands or wives, then let chastity and loyalty to your marriage covenant pervade the atmosphere of your own home. If you would have them refrain from the use of tobacco, then you refrain from the use of tobacco yourself. Brethren and sisters, in presenting this general picture of what the Church is doing for teenagers I have had in mind, first, to commend the workers for their diligence and efficiency. God bless them. And second, to show how effective the, Church is in its divine organization in touching the life and activities of every member therein. We see how true are Paul's words when he wrote: And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; "For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: "Till we all come in the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ." (Epa. 4:11-13.) In conclusion, and by way of testimony, the gospel is truly the power of God, and the Church the divine means of bringing, first, satisfaction and joy to the individual, here and now; second, bringing harmony in the home; third, more general understanding and resultant peace among the nations--what a message!--and fourth, salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of our Father. With all my soul I pray that the Lord will hasten the day when the influence of this divine organization will be felt more potently for the good of the inhabitants of the world, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 2, 1954 General Priesthood Meeting President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. MCKAY As I have said before in the presence of our fellow laborers in the Council and in this General Priesthood Meeting, I feel in your presence and sense more keenly what John the Beloved Disciple felt when he said, "We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." (1 John 3:14.) I say that tonight with all my heart, as I look upon this vast audience and sense, too, the number of additional groups meeting in various places named. Several days ago I entered my study after a hard day's work, anticipating this moment. The general outline for this Conference had been prepared, outlined so far as those who should pray and those who should speak and when; we had asked the Lord to guide us regarding appropriate messages. On that particular evening, however, I had in mind this moment, and I was physically and mentally fatigued. I could not study, I could not get my mind on anything definite; so after a word of secret prayer I retired. The next morning early I entered my study, reached for a little book that, contains what I call "liter nuggets, taken from Church works, from poets, writers such as Scott, Burns, Longfellow and others, and the thought came, "I believe I should like to take some of these nuggets and apply them to the priesthood of the Church." May I give you one or two tonight. The first is in harmony with the great comparison made by President Clark of the army and the battle, and it is also, as I shall develop it, in harmony with the impressive remarks by President Richards. "The greatest battle of life is fought out within the silent chambers of the soul." I ask you fellow workers to do again what undoubtedly you have done frequently, to sit down and commune with yourself. There is a battle on with you, and with me, every day. Fight out with yourself and decide upon your course of actio what your duty is first to y. of somebody getting into your life who will make an unhappiness or do some unhappiness in your home, as we have heard tonight. Second, your duty to your quorum. You decide whether you owe your quorum anything, and see if you have strength enough to do it alter you decide. Third, you decide in that silent moment what your duty is to your Church. And fourth, what you owe to your fellow men. Associated on that page was this comment from one of the most sincere writers we have. It is in "The Simple Life." "First, be of your own country, your own city, your own home, your own Church, your own workshop. Then, if you can, set out from this to go beyond it. That is the plain and natural order, and a man must fortify himself with very valid reasons to arrive at reversing it. Each one is occupied with something else too often than what concerns him. He is absent from his post. He ignores his trade. That is what complicates life, and it would be so simple for each one to be about his own matters. Decide where your duty is, even remembering that "the greatest battle of life is fought out within the silent chambers of your own soul." The second that I picked out is this: "What e'er thou art, act well thy part." That, of course, applies to moral and lawful endeavors, and not to harmful or villianous actions. That influenced me fifty-four years ago when, as I have told some of you before, Peter G. Johnson and I were walking around Stirling Castle in Scotland. I was discouraged, I was just starting my first mission. I had been snubbed that day in tracting. I was homesick, and we walked around the Stirling Castle, really not doing our duty, and as we re-entered the town I saw a building, half-finished, and to my surprise, from the sidewalk I saw an inscription over the lintel of the front door, carved in stone. I said to Brother Johnson, "I want to go over and see what that is." I was not more than half way up the pathway leading to it, when that message struck me, carved there: "What e'er thou art, act well thy part." As I rejoined my companion and told him, do you know what man came into my mind first? The custodian at the University of Utah, from which I was just graduated. I realized that I had as great a respect for that man as I had for any professor in whose class I had sat. He acted well his part. I recalled how he helped us with the football suits, how he helped us with some of our lessons, for he was a university graduate himself. Humble but to this day I hold respect for him. What are you? You are men who hold the priesthood of God, who hold divine authority to represent Deity in whatever position to which you have been assigned. When a man, an ordinary man is set apart in his community as a sheriff, there is something added to him. When a policeman on these streets, at the crossing, holds up his hand, you stop. There is something more about him than just an individual, there is the power that is given him. And so it is throughout life. No man can be given a position without being enhanced. It is a reality. So, too, Is the power of the priesthood. It was so real in the days of Peter that Simon the Sorcerer, who was making money by his tricks, wanted to buy it, and offered the Apostles money: "Give me also this power, that on whomsoever I lay hands, he may receive the Holy Ghost." Oh, what a denunciation Peter gave him! "Thy money perish with thee, because thou hast thought that the gift of God may be purchased with money. . . . For I perceive that thou art in the gall of bitterness, and in the bond of iniquity. . . . Repent therefore of this thy wickedness, and pray God, if perhaps the thought of thine heart may be forgiven thee." And so strong was the denunciation that Simon said, "Pray ye to the Lord for me, that none of these things which ye have spoken come upon me." (Acts 8:19, 20, 23, 22, 24.) There was no doubt in Simon's mind about the reality of the power of the Holy Ghost. "What e'er thou art, act well thy part." Are you a deacon, do the duties of a deacon well. Are you a teacher, do your work well. A priest watching over the Church, visiting with them,--young men in this Church, if we could just do the duties of the teacher and of the priest, teaching people their duty, what a power for good to young men eighteen years of age, and nineteen. Not incorrigible, not recreants, but leaders. Brethren there is nothing in the world so powerful in guiding youth as to have them act well their parts in the priesthood. In the same passage quoted by President Richards, the Lord says that many are called, but few are chosen, and why are they not chosen? Because their hearts are set so much upon the things of this world and aspire to the honors of men, that they do not learn this one lesson, that the rights of the priesthood are inseparably connected with the powers of heaven, and that the powers of heaven cannot be controlled nor handled only u n the principle of righteousness. That they may be conferred upon us, it is true, but when men begin to exercise unrighteous dominion, then the power that is given to them is withdrawn, they are left to themselves to kick against the pricks, to fight against God. I can merely mention these. You work them out for yourself. The third: "There is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved." (Acts 4:12.) It was a most dramatic scene when that sentence was uttered, and so you have this thought expressed as follows: The world's hope and destiny, the world's hope and destiny are centered in the Man of Galilee, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. In your moment when you are fighting out the battle of the day, will you look introspectively and see whether you really believe that? Paul Kane once asked this question: "Is Jesus only a legendary figure in history, a Saint to be painted in the stained glass of church windows, a sort of sacred fairy not to be approached and hardly to be mentioned by name, or is he stir what he was when he was in the flesh, a reality, a man of like passions with ourselves, an elder brother, a guide, a counselor, a comforter, a great voice calling to us out of the past to live nobly, to guide bravely, and keep up our courage to the last." What is he to you, my fellow laborer? When you kneel down to pray at night, do you feel his nearness, his personality hearing you, do you feel a power that operates perhaps as the radio or a greater power so that you feel that you are communing with him? You are not just saying your prayers, you are praying. Do you know tonight that he is real, our Savior, the Head of the Church? I know he is, and I know, too, that a whole nation right tonight is trying to teach a million boys that Christ is but a myth and there is no God. And now I will just pass to the fourth. "If my life is of no value to my friends, it is of no value to me, said the Prophet Joseph when he was on the way to Carthage. You hold the priesthood to bless others; not for selfish purposes nor for selfish advancement. but to bless others, and under that gem. or nugget, I have these lines from the great writer Browning, who puts in the mouth of Paracelsus, who thought learning would bring him everything--success, knowledge, etc., and he was going to rise above his fellow men ana become great, and maybe hand it down to them if they would let him. He ignored the advice of Festus, his friend. not to leave his fellowmen. Paracelsus obtained his knowledge, but he learned the lesson of life. Finally, an old man, Paracelsus was in Greece, and Festus heard about him and rushed to his old friend's bedside There, that great philosopher and scholar said, "Festus, I have found the secret of life!" "What is it?" said Festus. Paracelsus said, "There was a time when I was happy." "And when was that?" said Festus; "All I hope depends upon that answer. "When, but the time I vowed myself to man!" "Great God," exclaimed Festus, "Thy judgments are inscrutable!" "There is an answer to the longing of the human heart," continued Paracelsus, "and it is this: Live in all things outside yourself by love, and you will have joy. That was the life of God; it ought to be our life. In him it was perfect, but in all created things it is a lesson learned through difficulty. Time has passed. I give you these nuggets and ask you to fight your fight daily, and say nothing that will hurt your wife, that will cause her tears, even though she might cause you provocation. Realize that those children are your eternal possessions, treasures of eternity. Do not dare to set an improper example towards them. You are men of the priesthood and you are leaders. Never let them hear a cross word. You should control yourself. He is a weak man who flies into a passion, whether he is working a machine or plowing or writing or whatever he may be doing in the home. A man of the priesthood should not fly into a passion. Learn to be dignified. You cannot picture Christ flying into a passion. Indignant with sin? Yes. Overturning the money changers when they insulted God and defiled the temple. Yes: But so dignified and noble that when he stands before Pilate he makes that leader say: "Behold, the man." God bless you, our dear fellow laborers as you go back now to your homes in stakes and wards and magnify the Holy Priesthood, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 3, 1954 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY At the closing of this great conference, I know you would have me express appreciation to persons and agencies that have helped in taking care of all who have been in attendance. I know in naming indivIduals and groups that I may omit some, but to you all we express appreciation and gratitude for your services: To the public press, to you reporters, for your care and accuracy in reporting the proceedings, to the audiences for their responsiveness and attentiveness throughout the sessions of the conference; to the city officials; the traffic officers in handling increased traffic. As we have driven up and down South Temple we have noticed how attentive, how careful to duty, how considerate of the pedestrians you have been. Thank you! We mention the fire department also. They went to the trouble of seeing to it by actual tests that the fire wagons could in an emergency come through the gates. To the Red Cross, ave been on hand to render any assistance to those who might need their tender care. For the semi-tropical flowers from Hawaii, we have already expressed appreciation. To the ushers, we say thank you. We have noted your attention to your assigned duties as given by your superiors under the Presiding Bishopric. Gratefully we mention again the assistance rendered by the various radio and television stations here in our own city and state and in other states named in the various sessions of this conference. What a means of permitting hundreds of thousands of people to hear the proceedings of this conference of the Church! We thank you congregations assembled in the stakes in California, Arizona, Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Wyoming, and Colorado for the messages of appreciation you have sent in. Everyone has said that the proceedings have gone over the wire perfectly and then added: "Thank you and God bless you for the opportunity we have had this day of joining and worshiping with you. We must mention again gratitude, not only appreciation, but gratitude for the groups of Singers who have contributed so much to the inspiration of this conference, beginning with the Relief Society Mothers, and followed next day by those lovely little girls--the Bee Hive chorus. Just their presence and their sweet voices, aside from their singing, brought tears to many a mother's eye. Then the combined Scandinavian choirs, and the Men's Chorus of the Tabernacle Choir last evening in the priesthood meeting, and finally, our own Tabernacle Choir. Do you know they have been here since seven o'clock this morning? I am happy to re-announce to you that in appreciation of the eat service that this body of devoted singers is rendering under the able directorship of Brother J. Spencer Cornwall and the organists, Elders Alexander Schreiner, Frank Asper, and Roy Darley, they will be given a trip to Europe. They will go as ambassadors of good will--representing in honor and artistry the state, as well as the Church. With all our hearts, here today we say, thank you and God bless you in the preparation of that great trip! All that has been said and done and sung, all the testimonies borne have directly or indirectly led to this divine admonition: "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6:33.) Let us then make God the center of our lives. That was one of the first admonitions given when the gospel was first preached to man. To have communion with God, through his Holy Spirit, is one of the noblest aspirations in life. It is when the peace and love of God have entered the soul, when serving him becomes the motive factor in one's life and existence that we can touch other lives, quickening and inspiring them, even though no word be spoken. There is operative in the world a spiritual force as active and as real as the waves that have carried the message today to those tens of thousands by radio and television. "Lord, who shall abide in thy tabernacle?" cried the Psalmist. That means, who can come into that realm, that spiritual realm . . . "who shall dwell in thy holy hill?" "He that walketh uprightly, and worketh righteousness, and speaketh the truth in his heart." (Psalm 15.) Who will fail in getting into that divIne presence? "He that backbiteth, he that doeth evil to his neighbor, he that taketh up a reproach against his neighbor." (See Psalm 15.) Let us, as we seek first the kingdom of God, avoid backbiting and evil speaking. Gossip bespeaks either a vacant mind or one that entertains jealousy or envy. Let us avoid self-righteousness. There is a proverb that says, "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the Lord pondereth the hearts." (Prov. 21:2.) "Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift is like clouds and wind without rain." (Ibid., 25:14.) Finally, brethren and sisters, "be perfected, be comforted, be of one mind, live in peace and the God of love and peace will be with you." (See 2 Cor. 13:11.) Keep in mind the Savior's prayer: "Make them one, Father, as thou and I are one. I wish that all within the sound of my voice at this moment, all who have any prejudice in their hearts, might have glimpsed the General Authorities in the House of the Lord last Thursday morning, when they met in fasting and prayer to prepare themselves spiritually for the responsibilities awaiting them in this great conference. You would have glimpsed the unity of the First Presidency and through this transmission of heart to heart, soul to soul. you would have known the love I bear for these two counselors, for their clear vision and sound judgment and their patience with their leader when necessary. You would have glimpsed the unity and love of these twelve men, of their Assistants and of the First Council of the Seventy, the Patriarch, and the Presiding Bishopric. We pray that the love and unity in that meeting may extend to every stake presidency, mission presidency, every bishopric, every priesthood quorum and auxiliary throughout the Church. With such unity and love there is no power on earth which can stop the progress of this, the work of God. May his blessings attend you, now, as you go to your homes, We bless you that the spirit of unity and the spirit of testimony of the divinity of this work may abide in your hearts always, that peace and love may be in your homes as never before, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. April 2, 1955 General Priesthood Meeting President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY This has been truly a spiritual hour. Everyone present has felt the power of his Priesthood. Everyone has felt the sincerity in the testimonies that have been borne by our Brethren. Messages that are coming from the assemblies mentioned at the opening of the meeting indicate that they, too, are partaking of this same spirit. I trust that my duty in answering some of your questions of a practical nature may not detract in any way, but if possible add to the spiritual influence thus far manifested. The question has been asked: Is it proper in the administration of ward affairs, for the bishop to add to the budget assignment for ward operations, the cost of one or more of the Church magazines? If so, should he designate the magazine that the members of the ward should take? The answer: No ward, stake, or mission is under obligation to raise an assigned quota for any magazine published by the Church and it should not be included in the budget. Second: Should a member of the bishopric be present always in the Junior Sunday School when the Sacrament is administered in view of the fact that the Junior Sunday School is presided over by sisters? This answer should be given by the Superintendency of the Sunday School, but we will mention this one fact: There should be a member of the Bishopric present, or one appointed by them holding the Melchizedek Priesthood in the Junior Sunday School when the Sacrament is administered. Next, there is a question which indicates the necessity of being more careful about permitting fathers or other relatives to assist in ordinances of the Fast Meeting. For example, if a father asks to baptize his son, the bishop of course will know whether the father is worthy, or whether he holds the Priesthood. But suppose the father of the son lives in another ward, and appears at the baptismal service and requests the right to baptize. The bishop who has that baptismal service under his direction, should be sure that this father has the authority, and that will apply in blessing a child, or in confirming a baptized member. It is suggested, therefore, that the bishop will explain In announcing a baptismal ceremony or the confirmation, that if any father belonging to another ward wishes to participate he should apply to the bishop before the ordinance, and the bishop should request him to bring his recommend from the ward of which he is a member. We need not particularize to tell you why. Next: It is reported that recently some members who have been here for only a few years, indeed a few months, from the mission field, entered the temple and were unable, of course, to understand the ceremony they could not understand the English language. Bishops, under these conditions, it would be well for you not to be in a hurry to issue recommends to the temple to those who do not understand the services nor the ordinances. Their going might prove more injurious to them than helpful. In order to assist members of the Church better to understand the temple ceremony, arrangements are being made, and have been made for them to hear that ceremony in their native tongue. This will apply now already to six, possibly seven, nationalities. The ceremony has been translated into other languages and as fast as we possibly can, notice will be given when the ceremony will be presented to particular nationalities. We already have the ceremony in Spanish, as you know, with good results. We have already had a ceremony in the temple in the Swedish language. The ceremony is now in German, about completed in Norwegian, Danish, French, and the Dutch language. Bishops, you may very rightfully and wisely, ask the members who apply to you for recommends to the temple, a few weeks, probably months, and first hear the ceremony, impressive as it is, in their native tongue. Then, afterwards, they may go through and will understand the significance of it. Indeed, there are of those who speak the English language, some who do not comprehend the significance of that holy ordinance. Many of our people write over to vicars for information in foreign countries, particularly in England. Sometimes they are unable to furnish the records, even if they are willing, the Church officials in England, and because the law will not permit them to send money out of England they are therefore unable to return the funds you have sent. Do you get that condition? You cannot get money back; they cannot furnish you the information. People seeking genealogical information, therefore, from England, should carry on their correspondence through the Genealogical Office and not write directly to the Churchmen in England. There are one or two other items but the Brethren of the Twelve will present those to you on their visits. I would just like to say a few words in conclusion, and I hope not to trespass too much upon your time. In September 1946, the Board of Directors of the United States Steel held an official meeting here in this city. At the conclusion of their directors meeting they invited some of the officials of the Church to a dinner as their guests. There were present in that group men nationally known throughout business circles, Mr. Irving S. Olds, Chairman of the Board, Mr. Sewell L. Avery, and others. Mr. Olds was the Master of Ceremonies. At the conclusion of that dinner, Mr. Olds said, "Now, we have not planned for any speeches, but if any present would like to make any comments or remarks, now is the time." Mr. Nathan L. Miller, Director and General Counsel for the United States Steel Corporation, former Governor of New York State, arose. I remember well his opening sentence: "I am one of those New Englanders who have harbored all the ill-stories that have been circulated about the Mormons; but I will confess that this visit has extended my horizons!" He then said, "No one can walk or drive around this city, observe its cleanliness, its wide, well-kept streets, the physical accomplishments evident on every hand without being impressed with a feeling that there is something peculiarly distinctive here--something different horn that felt in any other city. I don't know," he continued, "whether to call it a spirituality--yes, that is It!--there is evidence of a spirituality, the lack of which is felt in other cities." He said he had been searching for the source of it; but could not find that source until he heard the tributes paid the Pioneers during a brief interview in the office of the First Presidency. There was a faith, a great ideal, a greatness among the founders of this State which the descendants evidently have succeeded in a degree to hold. "Your very isolation," he continued, "has been a contributing factor in helping the Pioneers to maintain the hi standards that characterized the lives of the founders of this State." Mr. Miller has now passed, but I wish he had been here tonight and partaken of the spirit of these men mentioned, who are devoting their all to the advancement of the work. Brother Mendenhall left his own affairs and from a business standpoint, they require great directing, went to New Zealand on his own responsibility and appointed many of those men who directed those builders of tee school, and responded to the second appointment willingly, and to another appointment. It matters not what it costs. Brother Biesinger, down there, mentioned by Brother Mendenhall, has left his own business. I asked him down there, "What has become of your business?" He said, "That is all right, it is gone, but I am here. This is my mission now." All he has he would like to give to the work. I met Brother Going down there who is building fifteen of our chapels in Samoa. His business, too, is not so successful. He said, "I can arrange that. I will be ready,,to devote all the time that is necessary. Brother Matis said nothing other than that he has spent seven years over in the mission field, but he had a prosperous position, an important position with an important company who said, "Yes, we will him a leave of absence." When that leave of absence was up we communicated with Brother Matis. "No," he said, "this is my mission. Do not worry about that. I will be all right." And so another year passed and another year, and seven years. You have heard his testimony tonight how God has blessed him. This afternoon Brother Moyle brought Brother Leo Ellsworth into the office. He is a prosperous man of responsibility, governing probably hundreds of thousands of dollars. He had just built a new home. He and his wife had not even completed their landscaping. The call came to him to help the Church in a great enterprise. I did not know that until this afternoon. They left their new house and have spent months now on this other call. He left his own business. My heart was moved when I heard him say, "When I came back I found my business even better than when I left it." He bore testimony of how the Lord had blessed him--"And this is my work now." The brother who will offer the benediction tonight, President of the Eastern States Mission, received word that unless he could get home, give up his mission, he would lose his business. Well, he had received an honorable release but he said nothing about this threatened loss of his business unless he would give up his work, and he was going to say nothing about it. These are but a few practical instances of the faith and devotion of the leaders and members of the Church of Jesus Christ. I bear you testimony tonight that the power, the spiritual power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ which comes from a testimony of the truth of the revealed and Restored Gospel is operative throughout the entire Church, and it is that power that gives the strength to it. It is the power of God unto salvation. Put the Lord to the test and you will find that he will answer and prove to you that he is overruling your affairs as well as the Church affairs. Financially, you may lose something, but the spiritual gain will far outweigh that seemingly financial loss. Even before we came into this meeting tonight, one of the bishops said to me (I happened to meet him): "Since my appointment, it is marvelous what the Lord has done for us, and how lie has opened up the way." And so, my beloved brethren, in behalf of all the Church, and particularly in behalf of the General Authorities, I thank you for your devotion, for your faith in the destiny of God's Church. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." (Matt. 6:33.) May the Lord give us power so to do, I pray in the name o Jesus Christ. Amen. April 6, 1955 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY Now, in conclusion of this inspirational Conference, we wish to express once again our gratitude to all who have contributed to its success including those who have furnished these lovely flowers not only for the beauty of the flowers themselves, but especially for the spirit that prompted the giving. The calla lilies come from Berkeley Stake and the daffodils, from the Tacoma Stake through the courtesy of the Puyallup Daffodil Festival Committee of Tacoma. We express appreciation to City officials for their efficient care in directing traffic during the Conference; to the reporters; to radio and television stations, for the service in our own City and State and other States named throughout the sessions--this service has been the means of permitting tens of thousands to hear the proceedings of the Conference:--to the daily papers, here in the City and in the State, we express appreciation for their cooperation and their efforts accurately to report the proceedings of this great Conference. Once again, we express appreciation and gratitude for those groups who have furnished such inspiring music--the Men's Chorus of the Tabernacle Choir last Saturday night; the Tabernacle Choir, faithful members, capable, inspiring; the Brigham Young University Combined Choruses. You who heard them will join me in expressing appreciation of their presence, as well as for their inspiring singing; and finally, and how glorious it is to have our Conference concluded with their singing--we express appreciation to our singing Mothers. You notice the Choir seats are filled, and also the two rows extending on each side of the gallery. I should like to acknowledge with gratitude the presence of the Spirit of the Lord. After all, that is what makes a Conference inspiring. I felt its uplifting influence last Saturday morning. It was about one hour after this unprecedented snowstorm swept over the valley. As Sister McKay and I approached the Tabernacle to fill our appointment with the Primary Association officers, we felt that there would probably be many vacant seats. It was snowing, in fact it was almost a blizzard as we entered the Tabernacle. I shall never forget the inspiration that I felt as I looked over an audience that completely filled this historic building. That morning, two great impressions came to my mind. One, that this demonstration of the Primary Association is but illustrative of other groups in the Church, equally active, equally responsible. There came to my mind the saying in Ephesians: "And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers. . .,, and so forth. (Eph. 4:11.) Seven organizations, including two of the Aaronic Priesthood, with 273,142 officers and teachers-teachers, guides, inspirers, of the membership of the Church, engaged in perfecting the Saints, working in the ministry, edifying the body of Christ. When I listened to the Primary workers and heard them report several stakes that have 100% enrollment, and the officers and teachers guiding them and teaching them, I was reminded of an article, a story I read twenty years ago in one of our national magazines. It is a story of a little boy who had wandered from his home into the "Bad Lands" of North Dakota. On Tuesday, July 18, 1933, at about 3 o'clock in the afternoon, a little three-year-old lad was lost in the "Bad Lands" of North Dakota. He was bareheaded, barefooted and wore only a pair of coveralls. The "Bad Lands" are noted for their pitfalls, canyons, rattlesnake holes and as a rendevous for wild animals. Upon discovering that the little boy was missing, his parents began an immediate search. Later in the evening neighbors and friends were notified, an all-night search was made. Early Wednesday morning a neighbor rode sixteen miles to Walford City to give the alarm that a child was lost, Farmers, house-wives, shepherds, cowboys, business and professional men, storekeepers, Boy and Girl Scouts, law officers without delay gathered on the town square at Schafer to hear Sheriff Thompson's instructions as follows: "We are all going out to the 'Bad Lands' to find and bring back the little Cornell boy. The best way I know to do this is for all of us to form into one single line and march out there. Each man, woman, and child of us will be spaced a few feet from each other. Every hole and canyon in the way must be searched. Every brush must be examined as we go along. This line, friends and neighbors, must not be broken. Every water hole, ravine and cave must be searched thoroughly. Every square inch must be scanned by us as we go. It is the only way. I don't know how long our search will take, but Alfred Cornell is out in the 'Bad Lands' somewhere and when we turn back the little fellow will be with us. We can only hope that we shall not be too late. Now, let's get going. I have appointed some of you deputies to ride on horse back so that there will be no slip up, and there will be none if I know anything about the people of this state." The line formed--at 6:30 Thursday evening the boy was found kneeling at a water-hole. His legs and feet were badly bruised and inflamed. His father and mother rushed to him clasping him in their arms and said, "How did you like it, lad?" "Fine," answered the plucky little fellow and burst into tears. When that ten-mile-line of human beings saw that the boy was found and really alive, a great cheer arose from 250 voices. They had found that which was lost. They had answered the challenge, had overcome all obstacles and saved a life. Two hundred seventy-three thousand, one hundred forty-two officers and teachers are assembled in the Church of Christ, going out to search for young boys and girls who are in the Bad Lands of immoral influence that surround us. Let us pray God that we shall not be too late, and we shall not be if we will honor our callings and do our duty as urged upon us through this great Conference. I have time just to summarize the address given by King Benjamin at the conclusion of his great address as recorded in Mosiah: "I say unto you. . ." if ye ". . . humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, ". . .ye shall always and be filled with the love the Love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true. "And ye will not have a mind to injure one another, but to live peaceably, and to render to every man according to that which is his due. "And ye will not suffer your children that they go hungry, or naked; neither will ye suffer that they transgress the laws of God, and fight and quarrel one with another, and serve the devil, who is the master of sin, or who is the evil spirit which hath been spoken of our fathers, he being an enemy to all righteousness. "But ye will teach thee to walk in the ways of truth and soberness; ye will teach them to love one another, and to serve one another." (Mosiah 4:11-15.) God bless you, officers and teachers of the Church in the Church of Jesus Christ. May the love of our Redeemer be in each heart, and that means that that love will be expressed in serving one another, for-- "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," said Christ. (Matt. 25:40.) Oh, what love is in your heart this moment as you contemplate the greatness and goodness of our Father throughout this Conference. May the Lord continue to bless these brethren of the General Authorities, and others who have spoken to us during this Conference. They represent the hundreds of thousands of others in the Church. God bless his work here among mankind, that the influence of love an goodwill may radiate from this center throughout the whole world, and bring glory to our Father in Heaven, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 1, 1955 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY Brethren and sisters: Being keenly sensitive of the great responsibility of this moment, I crave an interest in your sympathetic attention and especially in your faith and prayers. My feelings this morning can be expressed in one word--gratitude. I should like to quote from the Psalmist: "O give thanks unto the Lord; call upon his name: make known his deeds among the people. "Sing unto him, sing psalms unto him: talk ye of all his wondrous works." (Psalm 105:1-2.) Giving thanks means in this case, I am sure, a fullness of thanks, which is the outward expression of a grateful feeling. Gratitude is the feeling itself. That is in the heart. Thankfulness is measured by the number of words; gratitude is measured by the nature of our actions. Thankfulness is the beginning of gratitude; gratitude the completion of thankfulness. "Gratitude is the heart's recognition of kindness that the lips cannot repay." I feel grateful and happy this morning for so many evidences of the goodness of the Lord that I wish I could strike a note of optimism that would reverberate to the uttermost parts of the Church. In the words of Frank L. Stanton: "This world o' God's is brighter Than we ever dream or know; Its burdens growin' lighter-- An' it's Love that makes 'em so! An' I'm thankful that I'm livin' Where Love's blessedness I see, 'Neath a Heaven that's forgivin' Where the bells ring 'Home' to me!" I know that since our conference last April, many of us have had difficulties, disappointments, and failures where we wanted so much to succeed; wounded feelings from barbed tongues; sickness; some of us have passed through the experience of death of loved ones; but these are all incidents in life which, when not understood, may harrow our feelings until we are crushed. I am aware, too, that there have been jealousies, petty intrigues, meannesses, misunderstandings on occasions, and that men and women, magnifying these weaknesses of human nature, have made themselves miserable and perhaps scattered gloom instead of, sunshine into the hearts of their assocIates. But notwithstanding these disagreeable, discouraging facts, I am sure that we have cause this morning to rise above petty things and, as the Psalmist says, make known among the people the Lord's deeds, which are always good and beautiful. Paraphrasing a familiar song, let us, "Count our many blessings; name them one by one, and it will surprise us what the Lord has done." There are so many things for which we should be thankful, time will not permit our even naming them, but I should like to call your attention at least to four or five: First: loyalty and devotion of the presiding priesthood of the Church. Second: the vitality and growth of the Church. Third: the success of the choir on its recent tour in Europe, Fourth: the dedication of the temple. Fifth: the happiness we may secure in obedience to the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I haven't words to express my gratitude for the support and loyalty of president Richards and president Clark and the work they have carried on at the office and throughout the Church. I make this public expression of my appreciation and gratitude, which applies also to the Council of the Twelve, the Assistants, the Seventy, the Bishopric, and the patriarch, and to all those who preside in stakes and wards and quorums and organizations, in the presidencies of missions throughout the world. Nobody who has not come in contact with these men and women can realize their loyalty, their energy, and devotion. I wish to express, too, appreciation for the co-operation of the civic authorities in our state and in nations, in the South pacific, in Europe, and wherever the missions of the Church are operating. I know these are mere words, but they express a true feeling of gratitude. God bless them wherever they are. Activity and Growth of the Church Now as to the activity and growth of the Church, that is shown in many ways: First, in the increase in membership. You will be pleased to know that since we met last October, over 73,500 people have joined the Church; two new missions have been organized--the South Australian Mission, attended by Elder Marion G. Romney, who was accompanied by Sister Romney; and the Southern Far East Mission (the Japanese Mission changed to the Northern Far East Mission) where president Joseph Fielding Smith officiated, accompanied by Sister Smith, and by Brother Herald Grant Heaton, who is president of the Southern Far East Mission--a great opportunity--the ground laid for that division by Elder Harold B. Lee and Sister Lee a few months ago. Other missions are demanding similar attention. The activity and vitality of the Church are shown also in the increase in tithing. Last year the tithing was the largest we have ever had, and this ear up to September, it is 10.7 percent higher than last. This is a very significant index to the service, loyalty, and spirituality of the members of the Church. We are grateful to you for your devotion. You have shown in increased attendance at sacrament meetings that devotion. I sincerely hope that I may report an improvement in these sacrament meetings in order and reverence. As members of the Church in our worshiping assemblies, we should improve I think, in this regard. presiding authorities in stake, ward, and quorum meetings, and especially teachers in classes, should make special effort to maintain better order and more reverence during hours of nd of study. Less talking behind the pulpit will have a salutary effect upon those who face it. By example and precept children should be impressed with the inappropriateness of confusion and disorder in a worshiping congregation. They should be impressed in childhood, and have it emphasized in youth, that it is disrespectful to talk or even to whisper during a sermon, and that it is the height of rudeness to leave a worshiping assembly before dismissal. Courtesy, respect, deference, and kind consideration are all pleasing attributes that may be shown on all occasions, and wherever manifested contribute to the pleasure and sweetness of human relations. If there were more reverence in human hearts, there would be less room for sin and sorrow and more increased capacity for joy and gladness. To make more cherished, more adaptable, more attractive, this gem among brilliant virtues is a project worthy of the most united and prayerful efforts of every officer, every parent, and every member of the Church. Successful Tour of the Tabernacle Choir Another reason for gratitude and joy this morning is the recent successful tour of the choir in Europe. The reception given them at Greenock, Scotland, when the Provost, Mr. John Porter, and the Bagpipe Band of that city, gathered on the wharf, took a tug out even to the ship, and returned with the second group of singers, was almost a royal welcome. I cannot refrain from mentioning that, because fifty-eight years before, I stood on the same wharf and saw emigrants, returning missionaries take the tugboat out to the ocean liner. I contrasted our feelings and the attitude of the people fifty-eight years ago with this reception on that morning. Then in the afternoon, it was repeated by the Lord Provost of Glasgow and his Lady, Lord and Lady Andrew Hood. As he stated, in his extemporaneous speech of welcome--as he laid aside his prepared speech--this is probably the first time an organized group of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has been officially received in Scotland. That was Friday, August 19, 1955. I shall let others who were constantly with the choir report their achievements. Sister McKay and our party had the Opportunity to attend only four concerts--the one held in Kelvin Hall, Glasgow; in Royal Albert Hall, London; the Fest Hall in Bern, Switzerland; and in Tonhalle in Zurich, Switzerland. The service rendered by the Tabernacle Choir on their tour brought credit to our state, and the Church, and to our country as perhaps no other organization has been able to do. To transport 379 members of a singing group with their escorts, making a company of approximately 600, was a herculean task. The difficulties of transportation and hotel accommodations had really just begun when they landed at Greenock. But their tour, as you all know, proved to be successful beyond our fondest hopes. At every concert they were given an ovation. Elder Richard L. Evans especIally, who gave the spoken word, Elder Lester F. Hewlett, president of the choir, the directors, the, organists, and every member of the choir deserve the highest praise. The dignified attitude of the group as a whole, their comely deportment, their evident sincerity of purpose, their responsiveness, won the audience even before they started to sing. Mr. Edmund J. Pendleton, music critic of the New York Herald Tribune of Paris, France, wrote as follows: (I will read this one because I think it has not been published.) "The simplicity of attitude and the evident sincerity on the part of every participant from the last chorister to the conductor, J. Spencer Cornwall, is moving to behold. The wealth and health of the choir's sonority, and its freely consented discipline, achieved results difficult to duplicate without a similar faith in a job to be done. The whole program was sung by heart, in the most literal sense. "The technical side of the performance--balance, tone quality, attack, shading, diction--was thoroughly satisfactory, and in certain strong moments thrilling." It gives me great pleasure, therefore, to make public acknowledgment and express the thankfulness of a grateful heart to Elder W. Jack Thomas and his faithful wife, Emma, who first suggested a European tour and worked so diligently and enthusiastically in soliciting funds, and who labored so faithfully for months in looking after the transportation and physical comforts of the members of the choir; also to the advisory committee--Elders Mark E. Petersen, Adam S. Bennion, LeGrand Richards, who proved themselves masters of details, the application of which contributed much to the success of the tour. To President Paul C. Child, who with Mr. Charles D. DeKock, manager of the Foreign Escorted Tours Department, New York City, and Mr. Robert H. Smith, also representing the Foreign Escorted Tours Department of New York, had complete charge of all the transportation problems as soon as the choir landed at Greenock, Scotland, until the final concert held in the Palais de Chaillot Theater, Saturday night, September 17, we wish to express deep appreciatiOn. These men, with Elder Richard L. Evans, worked night and day to make the trip successful. In London, for example, when the tour managers were selling round-trip tickets to the ground-breaking ceremonies in Newchapel near London, at a cost of two dollars each, Mr. DeKock worried all night about it and the next morning said to Brother Child: "This is a very important event, and many people are coming from all over Great Britain and various other countries to attend; it would be a shame if members of the choir were not present." (That was not scheduled, you see, originally.) "I am going to furnish the transportation free of charge to everyone who wishes to attend those services." After he heard the choir concert in Manchester, England, the same gentleman said: "Paul, I took this job as an objective thing; I want you to know from this hour on it is subjective. I have never been so lifted up in all my life! I am going to give everything I have to the success of this tour." Mr. Robert R. Mullen who handled the over-all publicity of the choir tour and worked in conjunction with the J. Walter Thompson Company in Europe, told Elder Mark E. Petersen that his company was so much in sympathy with the over-all purpose of the choir tour that they did all of their work at cost, without charging any agency commission such as is usually the case. To all individuals and business firms who contributed their money towards paying the expenses of this eventful tour, we now publicly express our gratitude. I have no hesitancy in saying that from the standpoint of good will, in fostering better understanding between our Church, our state, our country, and the European nations visited, money has never been spent more profitably. Of course, there were difficulties and inconveniences, even tragedies, but these are incident to any great undertaking, and especially one of such herculean proportions as transporting six hundred people over Europe in thirty days. To the doctors who looked after the health of the choir members and to all others who assisted in any way in making this tour successful, we now express our thanks and deep appreciation. Dedication of the Swiss Temple Another cause for rejoicing this morning (and I tell you it is a most significant one as an event in the history of the Church) is the dedication of the first temple on European soil, Sunday, September 11, 1955, with two sessions that day, and two each succeeding day until Thursday, September 15. The Tabernacle Choir was present and furnished the music, with Sister Ewan Harbrecht as soloist. The choir and Sister Harbrecht never sang more feelingly than they did at both the morning and afternoon sessions of the first day of the dedication. I wish all members of the Church might have felt the intensity of the spiritual services on that memorable occasion. When the time came to welcome the hundreds who crowded the rooms at the first session, it seemed proper to express also a welcome to an unseen, but seemingly real audience, among whom were possibly former presidents and apostles of the Church, probably headed by the Prophet Joseph Smith, to whom was revealed the essential ordinances of baptism for those who died without having heard the gospel; also his nephew, President Joseph F. Smith, who prophesied forty-nine years ago in the city of Bern that "temples would be built in divers countries of the world." Among them, too, I thought surely might be numbered Elder Stayner Richards who was president of the British Mission at the time those two temple sites in Europe were chosen. With these distinguished leaders we thought, too, there might have been departed loved ones whom "we could not see, but whose presence we felt." At any rate, we all agreed that the veil between those who participated in those exercises and loved ones who had gone before seemed very thin. Again, we take opportunity to express publicly appreciation to the architects, contractors, technicians, and workers who labored long and faithfully to have the temple completed for dedication on that days Two nights before that service, workmen labored all night long and expressed themselves as doing it willingly. It had been announced that regular ordinance work would not commence until Monday morning, September 18, but through the indefatigable efforts of Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, assisted by Elder Paul Evans and others, it was reported that a company might be accommodated on the morning of the 16th following the final dedicatory service Thursday night. Accordingly, two sessions were scheduled for German-speaking people--one at 7 o'clock in the morning, and the other at 1 p.m. But members from the French Mission said, "the choir will he in Paris Saturday night, and if, while we are present here, we could go through the temple and get home for that, we should appreciate it." Accordingly, we gave them 5:00 p.m. Friday, as their opportunity to go through the temple. Then came President Eben R. T. Blomquist, representing the Swedish people, who said, "if we could come at 9:00 o'clock at night, we would be willing to wait over so that we could return Saturday in accordance with our schedule." So instead of two sessions, we granted four, resulting in continual sessions from seven o'clock Friday morning until seven o'clock Saturday night. Members from the Netherlands Mission had been invited to come Saturday morning at 7:30. They were there, and the workers who had worked all night, who were necessary to guide the workers from Holland, continued on duty. The faithful members endured the inconveniences gladly because the privilege of going through the temple at that time was a great accommodation to them. We here express appreciation to President William F. Perschon, President Samuel E. Bringhurst, Elder Edward O. Anderson, Elder Gordon B. Hinckley, Elder Paul Evans, and all the missionaries and workers who rendered such unselfish service to the fortunate members of the Church who were privileged to go through the first temple in Europe. The Gospel Plan the Greatest of All Blessings Truly, it is fitting to give thanks to the Lord anti to talk of all his wondrous work; and in doing 50, we must include the greatest of all Of his blessings the sending of his Only Begotten Son to give to all our Father's children redemption, and to those who will listen and obey the gospel, salvation and exaltation in the kingdom of our Father. Obedience to the principles of the gospel brings happiness, and happiness is what all men seek. Indeed, the Prophet Joseph Smith said that "Happiness is the object and design of our existence, and will be the end thereof"--and this is important--"if we pursue the path that leads to it." As an end in itself, happiness is never found; it comes incidentally. Note: "It will be the end thereof if we follow the path that leads to it, and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God." (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, pp. 255-256.) "Happiness consists not of having, but of being--not of possessing, but of enjoying. It is a warm glow of the heart at peace with itself. A martyr at the stake may have happiness that a kin on his throne might envy. Man is tee creator of his own happiness. It is the aroma of life lived in harmony with high ideals. For what a man has he may be dependent upon others; what he is rests with him alone. What he obtains in life is but acquisition; what he attains is true growth." William George Jordan continues: "The basis of happiness is the love of something outside itself. Search every instance of happiness in the world, and you will find, when all the incidental features are eliminated, there is always the constant, unchangeable element of love--love of parent for child; love of man and woman for each other (husband and wife); love of humanity in some form, or a great life work into which the individual throws all his energies. "Happiness is the voice of Optimism, of faith, of simple, steadfast love," interest in some great cause, that is worthy of a life's work. My fellow workers: What is the "Great cause worthy of our life's work?" The restored Church of Jesus Christ! Is there anything greater in all the world? My heart rejoices that we have the privilege of working together to establish through that Church the kingdom of God on earth. May our great life's' work be the promulgation of the restored gospel, that God's purposes may be consummated for the peace and happiness of man-kind, I humbly pray this morning, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 2, 1955 General Priesthood Meeting President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY We have received a message reading as follows: "Gathered in San Fernando Stake nearly completed stake center are 251 boys, 456 men, or a total attendance of 707."-James D. Pratt, First Counselor, Stake Presidency. Later in the Conference perhaps we can give a total report. Much has been said, brethren, during the Conference about the favorable reports made in the public press, compliments paid by government and state officials, to the leaders of the Choir in Europe, to the excellency of the Choir, paying compliments to the Church, etc., and every word spoken has been merited. Some might feel that such praise will be dangerous. Let me tell you that nothing has been said about the efforts of the Adversary coordinately with these words of praise. When permission was granted by state and local officials to erect the Swiss Temple near Bern, notice was given that such permission had been granted, and the request made that if anybody had any objection, let him so express himself. High poles were erected on the site, showing the height of the main building. Well, there was opposition led by a minister. A certain time elapsed-for other objections. Finally the authoritative council met and decided that the application to erect a temple be granted. This minister met again and said, "I protest it." "Oh yes," said the chairman, or leader of that group, "but you did not put your objections in writing." "Well," said the minister, "I did not know that was necessary. "You are too late now. Permission is granted. He resorted to the press, and the most scurrilous articles appeared, revamping all the old falsehoods, accusing the people of everything. But they paid little attention to it. I was surprised to learn recently that the temple stands just across the street from the town in which that man preaches. Down in South America in Argentina, favorable reports were given regarding the Church and its activities. One paper, and I will not mention the church it represents, came out with scurrilous articles. On the following day the. public press announced that President Peron had received officials of the Church. The next issue of the scurrilous sheets modified its attack, and later ceased entirely. Right here at home the Adversary is at work. Some of you have received accusations that the Church has apostatized, and that Cultists doctrine should be accepted. Well, the best way to treat these lies and scandalous reports is so to live that our actions will prove their falsity, and that is what we are trying to do. There are "fleas," and we shall have to treat them as such, I suppose. We shall always have people attacking us. As lone as the Adversary to truth is free to exercise dominion in this world, we are going to have attacks, and the only way to meet those attacks is to live tube Gospel. Now, I mention this--and I could say a great deal more--to put you brethren on your guard. It is learned that in some cases excommunicants are moving into wards where they are not known, and are being or have been used in teaching classes. Bishops and branch presidents should not use anyone in their various organizations until the bishops and branch presidents have received their membership records, or at least know of their worthiness. The importance of that is evident. We do not want people who are prompted by the spirit of the Adversary, the spirit of an apostate, to be poisoning the minds of our youth. The latter are too precious, and they are in our keeping. There is true philosophy in that old saying of David Harrum: "A certain amount of fleas is good for a dog. It keeps him from worrying that he is a dog." Well, the Adversary will see to it that we have plenty of these fleas as they exercise their pestilential acts in trying to undo the good that the Church is doing. I shall be glad and thankful when our friends who speak well of us, papers who publish the truth, will be more numerous than they are today, and it is our duty so to live that the people will have to speak well as they had to speak well of the excellency of our Choir and the concerts given in Europe. Thank you brethren who have spoken to us on the great principle of Reverence. A few weeks ago, with some companions, I had the pleasure, through the kindness of A. Hamer Reiser, of visiting Stoke Poges where Thomas Gray wrote that great poem, "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard." Of course I had in mind renewing the interesting passages in that poem and visiting for the first time the spot where he is buried. He died about 1871, as I remember. As we rode out there we recalled: "The boast of heraldry, the pomp of power And all that beauty, all that wealth e'er gave, Awaits alike th' inevitable hour:-- The paths of glory lead but to the grave. Then that familiar quotation: "Full many a gem of purest ray serene The dark unfathomed caves of ocean bear: Full many a flower is born to blush unseen, And waste its sweetness on the desert air. Those two sublime stanzas follow his tribute to the humble of Stoke Poges. Those who lie underneath the old elms, still standing, "some mute inglorious Milton here may rest," you remember. I saw something else in that old Churchyard that is appropriate tonight. By the way, we should never know anything about that if it had not been for Thomas Gray. We should never know anything much about Stratford-on-Avon had it not been for Shakespeare; nothing about Ayr had it not been for Bobby Burns. These great men have immortalized those humble places. Let us not look with disrespect upon these great leaders in the literary world. They make life worth living and give us the best in the world. Note this about the theme tonight. As we entered the old Stoke Poges Church built in 1086 by the Normans, my attention was called to a plaque on the door upon which was written the following: "Our courteous Lord wills that we should be as homely with him as heart may think or soul desire, but let us beware that we take not this homeliness so recklessly as to leave reverence and courtesy." I do not know when it was written, but I leave it with you tonight as coming from somebody 200 years ago. Reverence embraces regard, deference, honor, and esteem. Without some degree of it there would be no courtesy, no gentility, no consideration of other's feelings or of other's rights. It is the fundamental virtue in religion. Reverence is one of the signs of strength, irreverence one of the surest indications of weakness. No man will rise high who jeers at sacred things. The fine loyalties of life must be reverenced, or they will be foresworn in the day of trial. We walked recently through those old halls of Westminster Abbey. Everybody spoke in whispers. In one place--I have never before visited it--we were asked to take off our shoes. It was more to save the old floor, though, than to pay deference or reverence to the room. When Brother Cannon and I went round the world we visited some of the temples of Buddha and Shinto. We had to take our shoes off before we entered. We are not going to worship houses, and we certainly do not wish to violate the command of God to worship images, but we do want to be courteous, deferential, reverent, when we enter the presence of our Lord, to whom all should give reverence. If you were invited to go before a Governor-general, before one of Royalty, you would prepare in dress and in attitude so as to appear properly in his presence. Well, our houses are dedicated by the Priesthood, and our chapels are consecrated for the worship of the Lord, and we give them over to him. It is not just a mere act, and I promise you, my brethren, that the Lord will be there and we shall feel his Presence, if we approach him properly. That is a fact because he lives, and this is his Church, and you are his servants by divine right. I know the world thinks we are unreasonable, fantastic in our ideas when we tell them that there is no other authorized Church, but that is true. The Priesthood came direct from our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who is the great High Priest, and he authorized Peter, James and John, on whom he bestowed that Priesthood, to bestow it upon the Prophet Joseph Smith; and John the Baptist, who held the Aaronic Priesthood to bestow the Aaronic Priesthood upon Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith did not take it; it came direct, and you brethren, everyone present, can trace your ordination, probably within five steps, right back to the Savior himself. When we go into the chapel, let us go in there realizing that we are in the presence of our Heavenly Father, and we sit and commune reverently from within. Happiness is from within. It must be, as one of the brethren said, an individual matter. What right have I to go into a chapel and speak in loud tones and disturb somebody who is communing, probably praying in his heart? Oh my brethren, presidents of stakes, bishoprics of wards, God bless you in your leadership, in your responsibility to guide, to bless, to comfort. Many of our people need comfort. Lead them to come to you in confession. Guide them to go to the Lord, and seek inspiration so to live that they may rise above the low and the mean and live in the spiritual. This has been a glorious Conference. It is a glorious Conference, and tonight is an epoch-making event in the history of the Church. God bless every man assembled tonight who has come with his heart and soul filled with the desire to come closer to our Heavenly Father, filled with the desire to get a stronger testimony that our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, stands at the head of the Church. There is no question about it. God bless the man who sneaked in here to find something to publish to weaken the faith of those who might be weak. May he repent and be led to know the truth. I bless you, my brethren, with the power that the Lord has given us to bless, that from this hour we go forth with renewed determination to discharge our duties more faithfully, more successfully under the inspiration of God than ever before, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 3, 1955 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY To you Saints listening in: Thank you for the many telegrams you have sent. We rejoice with you in the excellent transmission of the messages from this tabernacle. I know the Saints would be pleased to hear your comments, but time will not permit our reading them. I have two here, though, which I am sure the Saints and you in California will be pleased to hear. One is: "The servicemen assembled at Fort Ord and those gathered in homes enjoyed the TV broadcast of conference this morning. Approximately ninety in attendance."--Chaplain Connell. The other is from Tijuana, Mexico: "The Saints gathered here in Mexico enjoying good conference reception. Proceedings are being translated into Spanish. Best wishes.--The Tijuana Branch Presidency, Tijuana, Mexico." Then, as you see, dozens of others. We are just one great, united Church--united in love. In your behalf, may I express appreciation and gratitude to all who have assisted in any way in making this great semi-annual conference such an inspirational success. As I was driven down to this session, I saw the officers of the law on duty, and I thought that their diligence has prevented accidents; perhaps they have saved lives by their faithfulness. I know they have greatly contributed to our convenience, and we thank them and our city fathers for their co-operation. To you reporters for your fair and accurate reports we express thanks; also to the audience as a whole for your responsiveness, attentiveness, and example in reverence, too, even you who have to stand in the doorways. It is all these little things which contribute to a spirit of unity, brotherhood, and love. The fire department has been on hand in case of an emergency. Red Cross officials have been rendering service. These flowers we have mentioned before. I did not tell you however that the presidency of the Wilford Stake permission to furnish these flowers. We did not ask them. They asked for the privilege of contributing to the beauty. We accept their flowers as messengers of love, We thank you, and to think that these other flowers could come across the Pacific Ocean and retain their beauty and fragrance as these have done emphasizes the nearness of our Saints in the far-off parts of the world to us. We mention the ushers. Have you noticed how quietly they have attended to their duty? They have been on hand, each at his post, with no confusion whatever. Thank you for considering your post important and doing your duty so well. To the various radio and television stations in our own city and state, and in other states named in the various sessions of the conference, we render our special thanks in behalf of the tens of thousands of people who have heard these proceedings due to your courtesy and contribution. To these groups of singers from Friday morning on, we cannot say in words that which we feel in our hearts. The German Saints on Friday-how well they sang! How gladly they rendered that service! That group of young men and young women on Saturday-why they just seemed to throw their young hearts into the expression of love through singing, and we all responded to it! And this afternoon, shall I say the climax? I can, because our mothers who always sing from the heart have just lifted us to spiritual heights, and Sister Madsen, how the Lord has blessed her to get these groups of mothers together an to sing wit such expression! It is so inspiring! Well, on behalf of the thousands who listen, we thank you, one and all, for what you have one today. I have time to say only a word in conclusion. The brethren who have addressed us have been inspired of the Lord, as you will all testify, and they have given us sublime messages. They have given us the gospel. chat shall we do about it? I remember fifty-eight years ago, on one occasion I sat in council with two local elders in Glasgow who had trouble which they could not solve, and which threatened to become serious. Something that was said touched the sympathy of one, and when you touch the sympathy of a Scotchman you have him, and he said, "Tell, us what you want us to dee, and we'll dee it." (Tell us what you want us to do, and we'll do it.) Well, we have been told in this conference what to do. God help us to do it. May I mention two important things just by way of emphasis upon which we should center our efforts. One pertains to the priesthood quorums. Fellow presiding officers in missions, stakes, wards, and quorums, make your quorums more effective in regard to brotherhood and service. The quorums are units which should effectively hold the priesthood in sacred bonds and in helpfulness. I refer particularly to the senior members of the Aaronic Priesthood--you businessmen, successful in the business world; you professional men who have devoted your time to the success of your vocations and are successful and are leading men in civic and political affairs--get together more, closely in your quorum. Yes, it may be teachers--that is all right. You meet as teachers, adult teachers, and help one another. If one of your number be sick, two or three of you get together and call on him. You can do that. You do 'not like to preach, and you hesitate to appear before an audience, even to pray. You can go together and sit by the side of your comrade who lies in bed. He will never forget it. You elders perhaps have one of your number sick, and his crop needs harvesting. Get together and harvest it. One of your members has a son on a mission, and his funds are getting low. Just ask if you can be of help to him. Your thoughtfulness he will never forget. Such acts as these are what the Savior had in mind when he said, "Inasmuch as ye do it unto the least of these my brethren, ye do it unto me." (See Man. 25:40.) There is no. other way that you can serve. Christ. You can kneel down and pray to him, that is good. You can plead with him to give you his guidance through the Holy Spirit--yes, we do that and must do it. We have to do it. But it is these practical, daily visits in life, it is the controlling of our tongue, in not speaking evil of a brother, but speaking well of him, that the Savior marks as true service. Read Peter's first epistle where he refers to the Holy Priesthood: ". . . ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light." (1 Peter 2:9.) In his second epistle (see ch. 1:4) note the significance of this: "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be ,,partakers of the divine nature, . . . When you sense that, you have reached happiness. Now the other point relates to your homes. Let us go home with a determination to have our homes places of contentment and peace. There Is not one of us who cannot contribute to that condition. The ideal home should be found among the members of the Church of Jesus Christ, and I am just sufficIently old-fashioned to think that the home is still the foundation of the state, especially of a republic. Do not forget it. And the state has no right to take your children and attempt to train them and substitute for your protection, mother, and your prayerful guidance. Brother Bennion referred to the influence of a mother. He expressed what each one of us may do. But I am referring now to the fathers' contributing to the home by showing a high sense of regard and courtesy to your wives in the home. Courtesy is a wonderful virtue, and it should be shown in the home. Courtesy is saying "thank you"; "if you please"; "pardon me." Have you forgotten those terms in the home? Children, hearing them, will themselves become courteous to mother and to father, and to each other. The home is the place to teach the virtues of society. The home is the place to instill the faith that has been emphasized in this conference. Husbands, remember the covenants you have made to your wives. Do not permit our affections to be led away from the mother of your children. Mothers, do not forget that you owe something to your children and to your husband. You, too, can keep yourself attractive. You, too, can refrain from finding fault. You, too, can contribute to the happiness and contentment of the home, the sweetest place on earth. That is about as near heaven as you will get here. Do not make it a hell. Some do. We have had too many broken homes since the war, too many separations by divorce. Let us reduce that number. There is no use terminating a marriage just because of a few misunderstandings. Guard against misunderstandings by curbing your tongue. You hold the priesthood. Can't you control your tongue as well as your actions? Do not say the thing that comes to your mind when things go wrong, and by a quick-tempered remark wound her who has given her life to you. Control your temper. Yes, you see weaknesses. The women see them in us husbands, too. I'll tell you they see them! They control their tongues more frequently, I think, than we do. Let us reverence womanhood. Is it not strange, when you think of it, that the one thing of which the world has accused this Church is the one thing in which this Church deserves most credit-keeping the home pure and stable, educating children in the faith of our fathers, with in the Lord Jesus Christ and the Father and in the restoration of the gospel. Now, here is a final appeal at this conference for us to go home, to go back and set our homes in order. God bless you in so doing, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. April 6, 1956 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY My beloved brethren and sisters: If you knew the weight of the responsibility of this moment, you would gladly answer the prayer of my heart--that I might have your united support and the inspiration of the Lord. I know what I should like to say and will try to say it, but it is a question whether I can get that message over to the thousands who are listening as I should like to give it, and, I hope, as the Lord would have it given. ". . . verily I say unto you, . . . [that] marriage is ordained of God unto man. "Wherefore, it is lawful that he should have one wife, and they twain shall be one flesh, and all this that the earth might answer the end of its creation." (D & C 49:15-16.) That passage from the Doctrine and Covenants indicates the message I have in mind to give this morning--some helpful hints for happy homes. First, however, I should like to say a few words relative to the general conditions in the Church. A most outstanding accomplishment since our conference last October is the completion and dedication of the Los Angeles Temple. On the original twenty-four acres purchased by President Heber J. Grant, assisted by Elders David Howells and Preston D. Richards, there are now, besides the temple, the following Church edifices, all finished and paid for: the Westwood Ward chapel, recreation hall, and classrooms; headquarters of the California Mission, bureau of information, central heating plant, and sufficient lot space for an inter-stake auditorium. During the pre-dedicatory visiting days, December 19, 1955, to February 18, 1956, 660,000 persons availed themselves of the opportunity of viewing this sacred edifice. Forty thousand attended the eight dedicatory services held March 11 to March 14. It is highly appropriate to express to this general conference appreciation of the contributed efforts, time, and means of the thousands of men and women who had the responsibility of directing and caring for the convenience and comfort of the hundreds of thousands of visitors, sometimes as many as 25,000 a day. First, this appreciation applies especially to the stake presidencies, high councils and bishoprics in the temple area, and all the members of committees appointed by them; second, to the architect and his associates; and third, to the contractor and assistants; fourth, to the faithful women who constituted a reception committee, who were at their assigned posts of duty every day for over nine weeks, outside and inside the temple; fifth, to the presidency of the Temple Mission and directors of the Bureau of Information; sixth, to the eleven doctors who were on hand to render first aid. Incidentally, forty-seven persons received medical care. We express appreciation also to our own committees and those in California--the committee on transportation and accommodation; the committee on the printing and distribution of tickets; the committee on press and radio and public relations; the committee on seating those thousands of people; and, I might say especially, the committee who, through KSL, installed television in the various rooms, thus adding to the interest and convenience of over 5,000 members to attend each of the eight sessions of the dedicatory services. We wish to express appreciation for the welcome extended by the governor of the state, Governor Goodwin Knight, and his commendation and words of appreciation for that sacred edifice; also the message sent by Mayor Norris Poulson of Los Angeles; and for the receptions given and messages sent by the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce and the Los Angeles Rotary Club. We appreciate their attitude and their entertainment. Great as that temple is, beautiful as it is, we shall ever associate with it the attitude of the people toward it, members and non-members alike. We appreciate the contributions given by people in the temple district, every promise fulfilled, and more--voluntarily given. Finally, we are appreciative of the tithes and offerings of the entire Church, making that edifice and others possible. Brethren and sisters, one hundred and twenty-six years ago today, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in the home of Peter Whitmer, Sr. Six members founded the organization, though there were others present. About fourteen months prior to that organization, a revelation was given to the Prophet Joseph saying, a marvelous work was about to come forth among the children of men. In that revelation we read the following regarding the spirit of the Church: "Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. . . "And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to qualify him for the work. glory of God, "Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence." (D & C 4:2,5-6.) Compared with the nearly two thousand years since Jesus Christ, the Son of God, established his Church in the Meridian of Time, one hundred and twenty-six years constitute a very brief period, yet the growth and progress of the restored Church during that time have been remarkable. From a membership of six, the Church now numbers over a million and a quarter, divided into 227 stakes and forty-four missions. It has built twelve temples, with two more under construction, and 2,646 other houses of worship are completed and under construction. In educational matters, its accomplishments are highly commendable. Besides the general interest of the members in the University of Utah, the Utah State Agricultural College, and other state institutions, the Church supports an educational system of which it may justly be proud: Brigham Young University, Ricks Junior College, 140 seminaries and institutes, and is now building junior colleges in New Zealand, Hawaii, Tongatabu, Tonga, Pesega, and Mapasaga, Samoa. The Church supports twelve hospitals, and through its welfare department needy persons are either rehabilitated or given necessary assistance from fast offerings and tithing funds. Though temples, tabernacles, and other Church edifices cost millions, all dedicated buildings are wholly paid for, and the Church is entirely free from debt. On behalf of the First Presidency and other General Authorities of the Church, I take great satisfaction in reporting that all departments of the Church are progressing very satisfactorily and express gratitude to our Heavenly Father for his divine guidance and inspiration. An Appeal for Stability and Harmony in the Home But I am not so sure whether we are maintaining the high standards required of us in our homes. I feel constrained, therefore, at this opening session to make an appeal for more stability, more harmony and happiness in home life. It has been truly said that "the strength of a nation, especially of a republican nation, is in the intelligent, well-ordered homes of the people." In no other group in the world should there be more contented, more happy homes than in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Just this month there appeared in a leading magazine the encouraging statement that American homes and family life are steadily strengthening. According to that article, the total population of our country has doubled since 1900. The number of families has tripled. This growth in family life is shown by the rapid increase in home ownership. One hundred-twenty percent more families owned their own homes in 1955 than in 1940. There are sixty-seven percent more children under five years of age now than in 1940, that Is in the country at large. There are sixty-one percent more children in group age five to nine years. Loyalty as a Contributing Factor Recently our attention has been called to conditions that seem to justify our admonishing the membership of the Church to keep their homes exemplary before the world. To the young people of the Church, particularly, I should like to say first that a happy home begins not at the marriage altar, but during the brilliant, fiery days of youth. The first contributing factor to a happy home is the sublime virtue of loyalty, one of the noblest attributes of the human soul. Loyalty means being faithful and true. It means fidelity to parents, fidelity to duty, fidelity to a cause or principle, fidelity to love. Disloyalty to parents during teen age is often a source of sorrow and sometimes tragedy in married life. I have received several letters this last month from young folk--two of them in their teens--irked because of what they consider interference of parents. Young people in all the Church and all the nation should understand that both the Church and the state hold parents responsible for the conduct and protection of their children. The Church, you will recall, is very explicit in that. ". . . inasmuch as parents have children in Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized, that teach them not to understand the doctrine of repentance, faith in Christ the Son of the Living God, and of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands, when eight years old, the sin be upon the heads of the parents. "For this shall be a law unto the inhabitants of Zion, or in any of her stakes which are organized." (D & C 68:25-26.) That is explicit, and parents, that is your responsibility. Some of you would be surprised to know that the statute of the state requires explicitly that not only parents, but also any guardian who has charge of a child eighteen or under is hem responsible for the protection of that child and for his moral teachings. Any guardian or parent that will do anything to injure the morals of the chic is guilty of a misdemeanor and subject to imprisonment of not more, if I remember rightly, than six months, and a fine of not less than three hundred dollars, or both. So, girls and boys, your parents, not only because of their love, but also by command of the Lord and by legislative enactment of the state, are compelled to watch over you and guide you. And parents, once again, that is your responsibility. The effect of this guardianship will be shown by illustration. A New York City judge not long ago wrote to the New York Times, saying that in seventeen years that he had on the bench not one Chinese-American teenager had been brought before him on a juvenile delinquency charge. The judge queried his colleagues, and they agreed that not one of the city's estimated 10,000 Chinese-American teenagers, to their knowledge, (not one) had ever been hailed into court on a charge of depredation, narcotics, speeding, burglary, vandalism, stickup, purse snatching, or mugging accusations A check with San Francisco, where there is a large colony of Chinese-Americans, tells the same story. P. H. Chang, Chinese Consul-General in New York City, was asked to comment on that. He said, "I have heard this story many times from many judges. I'll tell you why I think this is so. Filial piety is a cardinal virtue my people have brought over from the China that was once free. A Chinese child, no matter where he lives, is brought up to recognize that he cannot shame his parents. Before a Chinese child makes a move, he stops to think what the reaction of his parents will be. Will they be proud or will they be ashamed? Above all other things, the Chinese teenager is anxious to please his parents. "Most Chinese-Americans, no matter how wealthy or poor, maintain a strict family style home. Mealtime is a ceremonious affair which must be attended by every member of the family. Schooling, reverence for religion, and decorum plus reverence for the elders, are the prime movers in developing the child from infancy." And the paper says, "The amazing record of the Chinese-American youngster shows that it is in the home that the cure for juvenile delinquency will be found, and in no other place." (From an editorial in the Saturday Evening Post reprinted in the Reader's Digest, July 1955.) So, young people, loyalty to parents, if not a direct contributing factor to a happy home, is at least a safeguard against hastily assuming and lightly esteeming the duties and responsibilities of marriage. Loyalty to Self Next to loyalty to parents, I should like to urge loyalty to self. Remember, if you would be happy, if you reach the goal of success in the distant future, your first duty is to be loyal to the best that is in you, not to the basest. There is a saying in the Bible that "every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment." (Matt. 12:36.) Psychology assures us that "We are spinning our own fates, good or evil, and never to be undone. Every smallest stroke of virtue or of vice leaves its never so little scar. The drunken Rip Van Winkle, in Jefferson's play, excuses himself for every fresh dereliction by saying, 'I won't count this time. "Well!" continues James, the psychologist, "he may not count it, and a kind Heaven may not count it; but it is being counted none the less. Down among his nerve cells and fibres the molecules are counting it, registering and storing it up to e used against him when the next temptation comes. Nothing we ever do is, in strict scientific literalness, wiped out. Of course, this has its good side as well as its bad one. As we become permanent drunkards by so many separate drinks, so we become saints in the moral, and authorities and experts in the practical and scientific spheres, by so many separate acts and hours of work. Let no youth have any anxiety about the upshot of his education, whatever the line of it may be. If he keep faithfully busy each hour of the working day, he may safely leave the final result to itself. He can with perfect certainty count on waking up some fine morning, to find himself one of the competent ones of his generation, in whatever pursuit he may have singled out. Silently, between all the details of his business, the power of judging in all that class of matter will have built itself up within him as a possession that will never pass away. Young people should know this truth in advance. The ignorance of it has probably engendered more discouragement and faint-heartedness in youth embarking on arduous careers than all other causes put together." (Psychology, William James, Henry Holt, 1892, p. 150.) A good ideal for youth to build a happy home is this: Keep true to the best and never let an hour of indulgence scar your life for eternity. Loyalty to Your Future Companion Next under that heading of loyalty, I urge loyalty to your future companion. When harmony, mutual consideration, and trust pass out of the home, hell enters in. A memory of a simple indulgence in youth sometimes opens hell's door. Girls, choose a husband who has respect for womanhood! Young man, choose a girl who, in her teens, has virtue and strength enough to keep herself true to her future husband! Down the road of indulgence are too many good young girls, seeking vainly for happiness in the by-ways where people grovel but do not aspire. As a result their search for happiness is in vain. They grasp at what seems substance to find only ashes. If you would have a happy marriage, keep your reputation as well as your character unsullied. It is a common saying throughout the world that young men may sow their wild oats, but young women should be chaperoned. In general, this is pretty well carried out, but in the Church we have but one single standard, and it is just as important for young men to keep themselves chaste as it is for young women. No matter what the opportunity, no matter what the temptation, let the young man know that to find happiness he must hold sacred his true manhood. Marriage is a failure when manhood is a failure. Let him know that to gain moral strength he must learn to resist temptation, learn to say with Christ, "Get thee hence, Satan. for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (Matt. 4:10.) Then he is happy; there is peace instead of turbulency in his soul. Continued Courtship Next to loyalty as contributive to a happy home, I should like to urge continued courtship, and apply this to grown people. Too many couples have come to the altar of marriage looking upon the marriage ceremony as the end of courtship instead of the beginning of an eternal courtship. Let us not forget that during the burdens of home life--and they come--that tender words of appreciation, courteous acts are even more appreciated than during those sweet days and months of courtship. It is after the ceremony and during the trials that daily arise in the home that a word of "thank you," or "pardon me, "if you please," on the part of husband or wife contributes to that love which brought you to the altar. It is well to keep in mind that love can be starved to death as literally as the body that receives no sustenance. Love feeds upon kindness and courtesy. It is significant that the first sentence of what is now known throughout the Christian world as the Psalm of Love, is, "Love suffereth long, and is kind." The wedding ring gives no man the right to be cruel or inconsiderate, and no woman the right to be slovenly, cross, or disagreeable. Self-Control The next contributing factor to your happy marriage I would name is self-control. Little things happen that annoy you, and you speak quickly, sharply, loudly, and wound the other's heart. I know of no virtue that helps to contribute to the happiness and peace of the home more than that great quality of self-control in speech. Refrain from saying the sharp word that comes to your mind at once if you are wounded or if you see something in the other which offends you. It is said that during courtship we should keep our eyes wide open, but after marriage keep them half-shut. What I mean may be illustrated by a young woman who said to her husband, "I know that my cooking isn't good; I hate it as much as you do, but do you find me sitting around griping about it?" This griping after marriage is what makes it unpleasant. I recall the words of Will Carleton: WORDS "Boys flying kites haul in their white-winged birds-- You can't do that when you're flying words. Thoughts unexpressed may sometimes fall back dead, But God himself can't kill them when they're said." Children in the Home Marriage offers an opportunity to share in the love and care of children, and that is the true purpose of marriage. One writer truly says: "Without children, or without believing that children are important, marriage is incomplete and unfulfilled. Children take time, trouble, and more patience than we usually have. They interfere with freedom, good times, and luxury, but children are the real purpose and reason behind marriage. If we do not put the proper value on parenthood, we are not emotionally or socially ready for marriage. "Marriage is a relationship that cannot survive selfishness, impatience, domineering, inequality, and lack of respect. Marriage is a relationship that thrives on acceptance, equality, sharing, giving, helping, doing one's part, learning together, enjoying humor," and a home is full of humor with children. The more you keep in company with your wife, the happier you are. Business takes you away from home. She is there alone. Do not let companionship with other women divide your affection, and that applies to woman as well as to man. At one time I thought that it did not; that man was wholly to blame for the unrest, the disagreements and sorrows that are occurring too frequently, but I have had to modify my opinion. Companionship is the means of perpetuating that love which brought about your union. In conclusion, for the proper solution of the great problems of marriage we may turn with safety to Jesus, our Guide. He declared, as I read in the beginning, that marriage is ordained of God and that only under the most exceptional conditions should it be set aside. In the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ, the family assumes supreme importance in the development of the individual and of society. "Happy and thrice happy are they who enjoy an uninterrupted union, and whose love, unbroken by any complaints, shall not dissolve until the last day." It will not dissolve when sealed by the authority of the Holy Priesthood throughout all eternity. The marriage ceremony, when thus sealed, produces happiness and joy unsurpassed by any other experience in the world. "What therefore God hath joined together, let not man put asunder. "Home's not merely four square walls, Though with pictures hung and gilded; Home is where Affection calls, Filled with shrines the Heart has builded! "Home's not merely roof and room-- It needs something to endear it; Home is where the heart can bloom, Where there's some kind [heart] to cheer it! What is home with none to meet, None to welcome, none to greet us? Home is sweet--and only sweet-- Where there's one we love to meet us." Charles Swain To the Church, not only to young people, but also to married people, I plead this morning for more contented homes brought about through love, faithfulness, loyalty, self-control, and obedience to the principles of marriage as set for us by revelation to the members of the restored Church of Jesus Christ. May God help us to be exemplary to the world in this respect, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. April 7, 1956 General Priesthood Meeting President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY My esteemed fellow-workers. I hope what I say now may not detract from the spiritual instructions received and the appeals made for our young people. But there are a few suggestions to you, stake officers, stake presidencies and bishoprics of wards, which we hope you will take without comment. I will just name them. 1. In our Handbook of Instructions we read (which many of you bishops probably have not read, because it has not been reprinted): "Sunday School should not be closed on a day of Stake Conference. All classes with the exception of the Gospel Doctrine and other adult classes, should remain in session. This applies to every ward except where Conference is being held in a ward building and Sunday School and Conference cannot be accommodated in the building at the same time. It is understood, however, that the attendance of all members of the Church, old and young, at Stake Conference shall be encouraged, and that a member of any Sunday School class who desires to attend Stake Conference should be excused to do so, and that any class in the Sunday School may, under proper supervision, attend a Stake Conference in a body," but to close the Sunday School and turn out a hundred or several hundred, young boys and girls who do not go to Conference or who cannot find seats in the congregation, is contrary to instructions given. 2. Many wards at different times of the year decide that they will not hold any Sunday night meeting on Fast Day. These meetings should be held in the interest of the Auxiliaries. 3. This is very important. Substitutions should not be made for our Sacrament Meetings. Seminary graduation exercises should be held at some other hour or on some weekday night; they should not take the place of our Sacrament Meetings. And now just for a final message. We have been worried, not for a few days or a few months, but for many years, over the problem of making our ward teaching more effective. This is in harmony with our great lesson tonight--to help our young people and to help those of our older ones who are indifferent. Tonight I shall take time to mention only two features. "The teacher's duty is to watch over the church always"--this is the Word of the Lord, and the more closely we follow that the more satisfaction we shall have in our labors. "The teacher's duty is to watch over the church always, and be with and strengthen them; "And see that there is no iniquity in the church, neither hardness with each other, neither lying, backbiting, nor evil speaking; "And see that the church meet together often, and also see that all the members do their duty." (D. & C. 20:53-55) One day, when my brother and I were in our teens, we were ready to leave the barnyard and go out to the field for a load of hay. Father came out, shut the gate behind him, and then looking towards the sidewalk, saw two men coming towards the house. He recognized them as ward teachers, "Al" Sprague and Eli Tracy. He said, "Boys, there are the ward teachers; tie up your team and come into the house." Though we demurred, we obeyed. Seated as a family, we heard our father say, "Now brethren, we are in your hands." I give you the picture. Now I give you what the teacher said: he started with my father, who was the Bishop of the Ward, and asked him if he was doing his duty; if he was living in harmony with his neighbors; if he was sustaining the authorities. He asked Mother questions about doing her duty, and he went from the parents to each child who sat around in that meeting. Those teachers emphasized one part of their duty. First, Father submitted himself to them, for they came as his representatives and would be in ever house. Their duty was to see that "each member does his duty." Now that takes tact and some of you say for teachers so to question the people gives offense. I grant you all that, and I am not going to discuss it. But the Lord has asked you to do just that thing. How you do it, the inspiration of the Lord must prompt. Now tonight I should like to emphasize another phase of ward teaching--"watching over the Church always." The teacher's duty is not performed when he goes only once a month to each house. I remember when one Bishop made it a duty of the ward teacher to go at once to a house bereaved of a loved one and see what could be done in order to bring comfort to those who were grieving and to make arrangements for the funeral. It is the teacher's duty to see that there is no want; if there is sickness there, to go and administer--watching over those families always. Tuesday morning at the dedication of the Los Angeles Temple--that was the beginning, I think, of the fifth session--we were entering the Temple when somebody said, "There is an old lady coming down the walk. Evidently she wants to see you." She was walking, but she had to be helped. We returned and met her just as she and her companions came up the steps leading to the north entrance of the Temple. We shook her hand and greeted her and gave her a blessing as much as we could in that short, brief time, and to encourage her said, "Are these your two fine sons?" "No," answered the one on her left, "we are her ward teachers." What a beautiful example of watching over the church always They knew the old lady wanted to attend that service. I do not know what help they had to give her in order to bring her there, they had to get an automobile probably. I do not know whether she had any sons. I know only what I have told you. But they were her ward teachers and they knew her needs. Well, in every group assigned to you ward teachers, there are young folks who are crippled, there are young folks who are staggering, who need help morally. Somehow, some way, you can reach them and give them Not just when you go to make a formal visit, when you are sitting there before the radio or the television, but at some party, some way, wherever they are going, get in their company, get their confidence, take a hold of their arm--"watch over them always." Those two things we can do, in addition to what the bishoprics are now asking you to do: teach them their duty, watch over them always and see that they attend to their meetings. In conclusion, let me commend the Committee of the Twelve for the great project they have presented to us tonight. You can see its value. I am sure that you were all deeply impressed with Brother Petersen's message. These lines came to me when he gave the principal theme: "You ought to be true for the sake of the folks who believe you are true. You never should stoop to a deed that your friends think you wouldn't do. If you're false to yourself, be the blemish but small, You have injured your friends; you've been false to them all." (Edgar A. Guest) God help us to save our young people, to bring peace in our wards, in our homes, and in our hearts, by keeping the commandments of God as He has given them to us in this the Latter-day through the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; given it to us by direct revelation by the direct appearance of the Father and the Son, to the boy Prophet; given unto us, as President Clark has explained tonight, the Priesthood, the same as held by the Apostles of old. With all my heart I bless you, fellow-workers in the Priesthood of God, and 1 do it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. April 8, 1956 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. MCKAY The speaker of this session, Elder Lee, referred to the "shortest designated highway in the State," and that shortest highway leads to the penitentiary. His excellent discourse and the inspirational discourses of the other brethren who have followed him have inspired us all. The spirit of the Lord is here, and what I am going to say in a few will be in harmony with t those addresses. That reference to the highway reminded me of something to which we should have called the attention of 31,000 men of the priesthood last evening. But now I am glad that I overlooked it, for here is a better time and place, I think, to mention it. It refers to a number of young people who get on that shortest of highways. For several years we have asked the bishops to help us to protect them from getting on that highway. For a while we received help, and then that help practically ceased. There are two members of the Council of the Twelve appointed to receive your suggestions and recommendations, but these two members are helpless without your suggestions. In brief, many of our young girls, particularly, and not a few of our young boys, leave their homes, with the consent of parents, sometimes without the consent, and they come to larger centers in hopes of bettering their financial conditions, probably social conditions; and without proper guidance, without help, not a few get on that one-way road. And so we have asked that whenever one of those girls or one of the boys leaves home to come to the city, the bishop will send word to Elder Spencer W. Kimball or Elder Mark E. Petersen giving the home town address, and, if possible, the address of the boy or girl in Salt Lake City, Ogden, or some other center. The ward teachers should know the name of that boy and the name of that girl, for it is his duty "to watch over the church always, to be with and strengthen them." (D & C 20:53.) If the teacher will notify the bishop that one of the members of his district is leaving home, and the bishop will inform the committee of the Twelve of the fact, safeguards can be put around the young person. They are not bad boys or bad girls, intrinsically, but there are traps into which they may fall here and be caught in sin, as we have heard. Bishops, wi you please do that? Ward teachers throughout the Church, will you please watch over the Church always--over those who are sick, those who need your help, and particularly some of these discouraged young people? I think the thought that I am trying to get over is well expressed by that poem which the Presiding Bishopric has put into the hands of the lesser priesthood of the Church. It is a follows: "He stood at the crossroads all alone The sunlight in his face; He had no thought for the world unknown, He was set for a manly race. But the roads stretched east and the roads stretched west, And the lad knew not which road was best. So he chose the road that led him down, And he lost the race and the victor's crown. He was caught at last in an angry snare, Because no one stood at the crossroads there To show him the better road. "Another day at the selfsame place, A boy with high hopes stood, He too was set for a manly race, He too was seeking the things that were good, But one was there who the roads did know And that one showed him which way to go. So he turned from the road that would lead him down, And he won the race and the victor's crown. He walks today the highway fair Because one stood at the crossroads there To show him the better way." We are just reminding you bishops of this safeguard. How effective the protection or guidance, though, depends upon you, and more upon the ward teacher. As this conference draws to a close, my heart is full of appreciation. This has been a great conference. Do you know how many have contributed to its success? I want to point out a few even at the risk of omitting merited names. I have mentioned those who beforehand wished to make attractive and beautiful the rostrum and express their love in flowers. Again we mention them. Throughout the sessions we have expressed our gratitude to the radio stations and television stations, making it possible for tens of thousands to hear the message of the gospel from these leaders, and how impressively, eloquently they have given their messages. We have said "thank you" to the members of the choirs, but let me mention them again: The Brigham Young University choruses, with Brother Ralph Woodward and Brother Crawford Gates conducting. Those young people--you will never forget that picture--filling the seats of the choir and overflowing into the galleries, young people with high hopes, young people with faith, young people of purity. We appreciate what they did. And even more impressive, if that could be, our Singing Mothers! I cannot mention the name "mother" without being overcome with emotion. Those mothers who furnished that singing were the mothers of 1600 children! Even their title, "Singing Mothers," tells a story of sacrifice, a story of love, a story of home. No wonder they could sing the songs of Zion so inspirationally under the masterful leadership of Sister Florence Jepperson Madsen. Then there was the Reno Latter-day Saints male chorus under Ladd R. Cropper, director--whose singing inspired 31,000 members of the priesthood last night. We thank them. And today the Tabernacle Choir, singing the songs which inspired thousands in Europe. And when t the closing song, try to picture yourself listening to them in London or in Glasgow or Paris, Switzerland, Holland, or East Germany, and see those audiences filled with enthusiasm, inspired, as this wonderful choir sang, "Come, Come, Ye Saints." It is said that our "echoes roll from soul to soul, and go forever and forever." Well, the echoes of those choruses are rolling in the souls of thousands over in Europe and will continue so to do for a long time to come. To Director Cornwall and the organists we again express appreciation. Not many of you, I think, have noticed how attentive, how considerate, how prompt have been the ushers under the direction of Bishop Isaacson. They have spent hours here since conference began--during meeting, between sessions--from morning till night. We extend to you ushers thanks for your courtesy, consideration, and the very excellent way in which you have directed the affairs put into your hands. I have often spoken about the attention given by our police department. I do not know that they have ever rendered greater service than they have throughout this conference. You who have had to travel around this block have noticed three of our policemen, courteously watching to see that no accident occurs: here on the south gate two men; at the west gate another; out at the north gate another; and others at crowded intersections throughout the city. To the mayor and city council, chief of police, and to all the members of that force we say 'thank you" this day. To the Red Cross who have been here faithfully to render any help to those in need, to the fire department, members of which have stood on guard in case of some accident, to the reporters who have reported the exercises so efficiently and accurately--to all of you, we express sincere appreciation. Now I should like to express appreciation for a group of workers not connected directly with this conference but who are energetically contributing to the advancement of the work of the Lord: the volunteer labor missionaries who are down in New Zealand, down in Hawaii, who will be in Mexico and other places where schools and temples are being built; we should like them to know that we have them in mind and that they have our blessing, able businessmen, skilled in carpentry, cement work, steel work. Not many in the Church know what they are doing. But it is a great force of skilled workmen contributing to the upbuilding of the kingdom of God. And we shall mention, too, the young men who accept one-year, two-year mission calls to lay bricks, or to drive trucks, repair machinery, etc. Young men, we appreciate what you are doing. It is a great school for you, and you learn much even while you contribute your time and effort. Finally, I wish to express gratitude to my beloved associates, the General Authorities, who so kindly and considerately made mention of my half century of service in the Council of the Twelve. It was most gracious of you to express your congratulations and particularly your loyalty. The words coming from your hearts as they did touched me deeply. Next to the affection we have for our home and loved ones, we prize the loyalty of friends, but even more precious is the true feeling of brotherhood in Christ. This choicest of all blessings in human association in the Church has been most manifest during this conference ever since our meeting referred to by Brother Kimball of the General Authorities in the house of the Lord last Thursday morning, and as expressed throughout this conference. Truly, we can sense more clearly than ever what John thee apostle had in mind when he wrote, We know that we have passed from death unto life, because we love the brethren." (1 John 3:14.) And I wish to tell you auxiliary workers and you members in the priesthood quorums of stakes and wards, that the brethren love you just that way. And what the Primary is doing--you could see by the reports of the great convention, and the high percentage of children that they have in attendance at their weekly meetings--they are doing just what you brethren ave asked them to do. The Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association has enrolled every girl in the Church. They will help you teacher--our local Young Women's Association and its officers--to find out when one of the girls is moving to another place, and they will be there to welcome them and to try to help them. The Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association in their competitive games, in their cultural, inspirational meetings--what a wonderful work they are doing! So, also, the great Sunday School cause, and our mothers in Relief Society--where in all the world can you find so many groups working so efficiently--helps in government, as guides to your children--as you find in the Church of Jesus Christ! We are not boasting; we are just stating facts. We might not say it to you officers of these auxiliaries, but we love you, and in our hearts are prayers for your success. And the priesthood quorums, the deacons and the Aaronic Priesthood, the teachers and the priests--there again, every one enrolled, an opportunity for every boy to be active; instead of having the gang-spirit, where the members try to destroy or to interfere with the ease and comfort of others, we have them active and rendering service to others. And that means, as President Clark stated, over a hundred thousand of them, and the Presiding Bishopric bringing in the Senior Aaronic members; then the Melchizedek, the elders, seventies, and high priests--there is where we touch our home life. There are three parables to which I shall refer and close, all relating to lost ones. What I have said relates to preventing them from getting on the highway that leads to the detention home or to the penitentiary. Christ gave three parables which you will find in the 15th chapter of Luke. One is the parable of the Lost Sheep which wandered away from the flock; the second was the loss of one of Ten Pieces of Silver by a housewife; and the third was the Prodigal Son. The first referred to one that just simply wandered because it wanted to seek the best in sustenance of life; there was no sin involved. It became so engrossed in its own welfare that it wandered away from the flock. The second was largely due to carelessness, neglect; and the third was a determination to an abandonment to a life of indulgence and sin. Now you will find many in the Church of these and girls who drift from the Church because of other interests. They are not bad boys. Find them, bring them back into activity in the fold. In the second parable, the parents, through carelessness, let the girls go, or the girls defy parental interference or authority. Often the boys start out with wrong companions. You know how to deal with them--get them, too, into activity. The third, the prodigal son or the prodigal girl who goes down the line, who refuses the invitation to come back, refuses to enter into the activity of the Church--such a one, as did the prodigal son, will go, I suppose, until he comes to himself and then, as President Richards so eloquently expressed today, the spirit of repentance and the spirit of forgiveness will be operative. Brethren and sisters, may our Heavenly Father sanctify the instructions, admonitions, and testimonies that we have heard throughout this great and memorable conference. May he fill our hearts with love for one another in the true brotherhood of Christ. May that love in our homes, in our groups, in priesthood, and in the auxiliaries radiate so-effectively that others seeing our good lives may be led to glorify our Father in heaven, I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 5, 1956 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY THE PASSING OF YEARS and the repetition of experience fail to lessen the great responsibility of addressing the congregation in this great tabernacle and others listening in over the radio. I have prayed and now pray for the inspiration of the Lord, that I may be able to perform this duty acceptably to him and to you, my brethren and sisters. What I have in mind I should like to associate with this passage of scripture taken from Matthew: "Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his father with his angels; and then he shall reward every man according to his works." (Matt. 16:24Ä27.) Before emphasizing one or more particular points contained in that remarkable passage, I should like to give a brief report regarding some activities of the Church since our conference six months ago. During that interim the Church has been moving forward most encouragingly. Priesthood quorums have increased in number, particularly in the mission field, and, through the efficient efforts of the priesthood committees among the General Authorities, a greater enrolment in the quorums generally has resulted. There are today in the stakes and missions of the Church 237 high priests quorums; 449 seventies quorums and 17 units; 1,750 elders quorums and two units; 171 quorums and 1,725 groups of priests; 737 quorums, and 1,230 groups of teachers; 1,988 quorums, and 551 groups of deacons. Those are all organizations established by revelation for activity in spiritual things, as well as temporal, for boys, and for young men under nineteen years of age, most of them seventeen and eighteen. The general boards of auxiliaries are functioning efficiently, and local organizations are coÄoperating with them in earnest efforts to instil high ideals in the minds of childhood and youth. It is a sobering thought, my brothers and sisters, to realize that all quorums, all auxiliaries, all Church schools, seminaries, institutes, colleges, the Church university, all Church edifices, all preparations of lessons, the expenditure of hundreds of thousands of dollars monthly for the publication of books, equipment, illustrative material, and so forthÄÄall efforts of thousands of officers and teachersÄÄare for one purpose: namely, the education and proper training of your boys and girls and the edification of all members of the Church. Everything that has been and is now being done points to that one general purpose. Do you appreciate it by cooperating with these forces and sending your young children, and your young men and women to these various organizations in the Church? If not, you are shirking part of your duty. We have only words of commendation to the Twelve, the Assistants to the Twelve, and other General Authorities, including the Presiding Bishopric; to the general boards, the members of the general Church building committee, the stake and ward officers, each and all working for the good of the individual to bring to pass the Lord's purposes, who declared: ". . . this is my work and my gloryÄÄto bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man." (P of G P, Moses 1:39.) You will be interested to learn that since the first of the year there have been 136 Church edifices dedicated. It is estimated that in the final quarter of 1956 there will possibly be added to this number fortyÄfour more buildings, making a total of buildings dedicated in EnglishÄspeaking wards and stakes and missions of 180. In foreign missions it is estimated that there will be somewhere in the neighborhood of fifty to sixty houses of worship dedicated in this year 1956, making a total in all of approximately 240. A means to an end! From the standpoint of numbers and material prosperity, therefore, the Church has every reason to be encouraged. All these things, I repeat, are means to the perfecting of the soulÄÄthat is the end. The great question is: Have we progressed spiritually as well as in these physical and teaching organizations? The answer is yes. The accomplishments before mentioned, the efforts put forth, are in themselves really expressions of spirituality, and here we offer in our hearts a prayer that God will bless the total membership of the Church who have contributed of their means, talents, and efforts to the accomplishment of the purposes named, the means, and structures and Church edifices especially. It is marvelous what you have done. "Every noble impulse, every unselfish expression of love, every brave suffering for the right; every surrender of self to something higher than self; every loyalty to an ideal; every unselfish devotion to principle; every helpfulness to humanity; every act of selfÄcontrol; every fine courage of the soul, undefeated by pretense or policy, but by being, doing, and living of good for the very good's sakeÄÄthat is spirituality." And our text emphasizes the fact that the human being consists of spirit and body: "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?" (Matt. 16:26.) Indeed, man's earthly existence is but a test, whether he will concentrate his efforts, his mind, his soul upon things which contribute to his comfort and gratification of his physical instincts and passions, or whether he will make as his life's purpose and aim the acquisition of spiritual qualities. The spiritual road has Christ as its ideal, not the gratification of the physical, for he that would save his life, yielding to that present gratification of a seeming need, will lose his life. If he would seek the real purpose of life, the individual must live for some thing higher than self. He hears the Savior's voice saying: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6.) Following that voice, he soon learns that there is no one great thing which he can do to attain happiness or eternal life. He learns that "life is made up not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things in which smiles and kindness and small obligations given habitually are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort. Spirituality, our true aim, is the consciousness of victory over self and of communion with the Infinite. Spirituality impels one to conquer difficulties and acquire more and more strength. To feel one's faculties unfolding and truth expanding the soul is one of life's sublimest experiences. Would that all might so live as to experience that ecstasy! Being "honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men" are attributes which contribute to spirituality, the highest acquisition of the soul. It is the divine in man, the supreme, crowning gift that makes him king of all created things. The spiritual life is the true life of man. It is what distinguishes him from the beasts of the forests. It lifts him above the physical, yet he is still susceptible to all the natural contributions that life can give him that are needful for his happiness or contributive to his advancement. "Though in the world, not of the world." (See John 8:23.) Jesus taught that men and women fail to live truly, unless they have spirituality. In Jefferson's Life and Teachings of Jesus, we read that the spiritual force underlies everything, and without it nothing worthwhile can be accomplished. And I quote: "Spiritual needs can be met only by spiritual means. All government, laws, methods, and organizations are of no value unless" spirituality guides them. All "men and women are filled with truth," with this spiritualityÄÄand "righteousness, and mercy. Material things have no power to raise the sunken spirit. Gravitation, electricity, and steam are great forces, but they are all powerless to change the motives of men and women." "Except a man be born again, lie cannot see the kingdom of God." (See John 3:3.) Spirituality and morality as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ are firmly anchored in fundamental principlesÄÄprinciples from which the world can never escape even if it would, and the first fundamental is a beliefÄÄand among the members of the Church who are truly converted, a knowledgeÄÄof the existence of God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ. Children of the Church are taught, at least should be taught, to recognize him and to pray to him as one who can listen and hear and feel just as an earthly father can listen and hear and feel, and they have absorbed into their very beings, if taught rightly, from their mothers and their fathers, the real testimony that this personal God has spoken in this dispensation. Inseparable from the acceptance of the existence of God is an attitude of reverence, to which I wish now to call attention most earnestly to the entire Church. The greatest manifestation of spirituality is reverence; indeed, reverence is spirituality. Reverence is profound respect mingled with love. It is a complex emotion made up of mingled feelings of the soul." Carlyle says it is "the highest of human feelings." I have said elsewhere that if reverence is the highest, then irreverence is the lowest state in which a man can live in the world. Be that as it may, it is nevertheless true that an irreverent man has a crudeness about him that is repellent. He is cynical, often sneering, and always iconoclastic. Reverence embraces regard, deference, honor, and esteem. Without some degree of it, therefore, there would be no courtesy, no gentility, no consideration of others' feelings, or of others' rights. Reverence is the fundamental virtue in religion. It is "one of the signs of strength; irreverence, one of the surest indications of weakness. No man will rise high," says one man, "who jeers at sacred things. The fine loyalties of life," he continues, "must be reverenced or they will be foresworn in the day of trial.' Parents, Reverence, as charity, begins at home. In early childhood children should be trained to be respectful, deferentialÄrespectful to one another, to strangers and visitorsÄdeferential to the aged and infirmÄreverential to things sacred, to parents and parental love. Three influences in home life awaken reverence in children and contribute to its development in their souls. These are: first, firm but Gentle Guidance; second, Courtesy shown by parents to each other, and to children; and third, Prayer in which children participate. In every home in this Church parents should strive to act intelligently in impressing children with those three fundamentals. Reverence in the houses of worship: Churches are dedicated and set apart as houses of worship. This means, of course, that all who enter do so, or at least pretend to do so, with an intent to get nearer the presence of the Lord than they can in the street or amidst the worries of a workaday life. In other words, we go to the Lord's house to meet him and to commune with him in spirit. Such a meeting place, then, should first of all be fitting and appropriate in all respects, whether God is considered as the invited guest, or the worshipers as his guests. Whether the place of meeting is a humble chapel or a "poem in architecture" built of white marble and inlaid with precious stones makes little or no difference in our approach and attitude toward the Infinite Presence. To know God is there should be sufficient to impel us to conduct ourselves orderly, reverently. In this regard, as members of the Church in our worshiping assemblies, we have much room for improvement. Presiding authorities in stake, ward, and quorum meetings, and especially teachers in classes, should make special effort to maintain better order and more reverence during hours of worship and of study. Less talking behind the pulpit will have a salutary effect upon those who face it. By example and precept, children should be impressed with the inappropriateness of confusion and disorder in a worshiping congregation. They should be impressed in childhood, and have it emphasized in youth, that it is disrespectful to talk or even to whisper during a sermon, and that it is the height of rudeness, excepting in an emergency, to leave a worshiping assembly before dismissal. One of the most pronounced outbursts of Jesus' indignation was caused by the desecration of the Lord's temple. As he overturned the tables of moneychangers and ordered out those who were bartering and trading in the holy sanctuary, he gave a warning admonition that has come down through the centuries: "...make not my Father's house an house of merchandise." (John 2:16.) Making and spending money, even in conversation, faultfinding, and particularly gossiping about neighbors in a house of worship, are essentially violations of this command given nearly two thousand years ago. If there were more reverence in human hearts, there would be less room for sin and resultant sorrow; more capacity for joy and gladness. To make more cherished, more adaptable, more attractive this gem among brilliant virtues, is a project worthy of the most united and prayerful efforts of every officer, every parent, and every member of the Church. I repeat now: "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it. "For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, [physical desires, gratification of appetites, money, wealth] ÄÄgain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? "For the Son of man shall come in the glory of his Father with his angels: and then he shall reward every man according to his works." (Matt. 16:24Ä27.) In these words of the Savior we have designated either by direct statement or implication four eternal truthsÄÄ First, the existence of God our Eternal Father. Second, the divine Sonship of Jesus Christ. Third, that man has a spirit as well as a body, and he may direct his life to serve him, Fourth, that soul development results from complete control of physical desires and passions. With that scripture in conclusion I desire to call attention to another fundamental truth: ". . . a marvelous work is about to come forth among the children of men. "Therefore, O ye that embark in the service of God, see that ye serve him with all your heart, might, mind and strength, that ye may stand blameless before God at the last day. "Therefore, if ye have desires to serve God ye are called to the work; "For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul; "And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work. "Remember faith, virtue, knowledge, temperance, patience, brotherly kindness, godliness, charity, humility, diligence. "Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (D & C Sec 4.) That this work has come forth and is now established by divine revelation testifying to the existence of God the Father, his son Jesus Christ, and that through Jesus Christ and his gospel mankind will be brought back into his presence, I bear witness to you, and to the world, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 6, 1956 General Priesthood Meeting President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY THIS AFTERNOON at the height of a most inspirational meeting I saw two young men on my left in the gallery rise from their seats and walk out of the building. I hastily put on my long distance glasses to see more definitely who they were. They impressed me as being teachers, about the age of 15. That little act emphasized one of the points to be mentioned at this Priesthood Meeting, and that is the attitude of our young men bearing the Aaronic Priesthood who are asked to administer the emblems of our Lord's death and life. No more sacred ordinance has been given to us by the Lord than the administration of the Sacrament. I shall not dwell long upon its significance, the principal one of which is a covenant that we make with the Lord. We give our word of honor to do certain things, which as the Brethren said today, are contributive to our spiritual growth and happiness if kept, but which weaken our characters if we violate them. Say over in your mind briefly just what that covenant is. Those two men who are representing the audience appeal to the Lord in the name of the Redeemer, and ask him to bless and sanctify that bread or water to the souls of all those who partake of it. That is a sacred approach. "That they may do it in remembrance of the body (or blood) of thy Son, and witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him, and keep his commandments which he hath given them," then the result, "that they may always have his Spirit to be with them." That is one of the prayers given to us word for word. Young men who are given the Priesthood, the importance of which we have heard tonight, are asked to give the congregation the opportunity to make that covenant, and the two priests who are to bless it, or the four who are to participate, should be instructed regarding the importance and sacredness of their calling. No whispering should be engaged in by those boys. All preparation should be carefully made before the hour of the sacrament meeting, and those young men should at least refrain from conversation, even if they do not contemplate the responsibility which is theirs. I am not going to say much about the dress. We are not a people who look to formality, certainly we do not believe in phylacteries, in uniforms, on sacred occasions, but I do think that the Lord will be pleased with a bishopric if they will instruct the young men who are invited to administer the sacrament to dress properly. He will not be displeased if they come with a white shirt instead of a colored one, and we are not so poor that we cannot afford clean, white shirts for the boys who administer the sacrament. If they do not have them, at least they will come with clean hands, and especially with a pure heart. I have seen deacons not all dressed alike, but they have a special tie or a special shirt as evidence that those young men have been instructed that "you have a special calling this morning. Come in your best." And when they are all in white I think it contributes to the sacredness of it. Anything that will make the young boys feel that they have been called upon to officiate in the Priesthood in one of the most sacred ordinances in the Church, and they too should remain quiet, even before the opening of the meeting. That is just preliminary. I said I saw these two boys leave the building this afternoon, and it reminded me that in some of our wards, these young men who have been appointed to administer the sacrament, and who have officiated in the order of the Priesthood, start for the door and leave the worshiping assembly. I will not say it is sacrilege, but I will say that it is not in keeping with the order and sacredness of the service which they have rendered by virtue of the Priesthood. Instruct them, bishops. When they accept that duty, they accept the responsibility of remaining throughout that entire meeting hour. They are part of it. A bishop would not think of leaving. His counselors would not. Neither should your representatives who administer the sacrament. There should be more order in the administration of the sacrament. A keener sense of the promise, the covenant, we make will add much to the spirituality of the membership of the Church, and will entitle us to the guidance of the Holy Spirit. Indeed that is a principal end of our existence. I like that parable Jesus gave when he said, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: "And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these." (Matthew 6:28-29.) "Consider the lilies, how they grow," with their roots down in the ground seeking for sustenance, and all that sustenance and vitality going up through the stem for one purpose, until that flower blossoms in the sunshine in fulfillment of its life, receiving the glory of the sunshine, and the completion of pistol and stamens. So we, with our tentacles in the earth, our hands, our brains, which God has given us physically, seek life and sustenance in subduing matter. Why? That we might realize the ideal, that our souls too may blossom in the sunshine of God's Holy Spirit, "that thy Spirit may be always with us.' Brethren, let us have the Lesser Priesthood remain and participate in that administration in sacredness, in reverence, and contribute to the order of the worshiping assembly. There is one other principle to which I wish to call attention tonight, and that is the observance of the Sabbath Day. I was grieved, recently, and probably you were, to receive an invitation to attend the opening of a new multi-million dollar runway at the Hill Field Air Force Base. All our service boys will want to be there. Thousands of loyal citizens will want to be there, but why should it be on Sunday? We have our boys of the Air Force here tonight. They are loyal. Our boys are bringing honor to our Country. Their Captains, their officers, write to us and tell us how proud they are, and that goes for the boys particularly who are maintaining the ideals of the Church. Most of them areÄÄGod bless them. Well, among those ideas is worshiping on the Sabbath Day, keeping it holy. I wish that they, in order to be loyal to their troops and associates, would not have to go up there on Sunday. I understand that possibly the State National Guard here in our own State may ask the members of the National Guard to go out and drill on Sunday. I hope not. Sunday is worship day. It is holy. This is a Christian nation, and the Lord has promised that as long as we keep him in mind and worship him this Country will standÄÄthis Government will stand. No other nation can take it or destroy it. But if we forget Him, God's promises are not binding. Why should Sunday be observed as a day of rest? First, Sunday is essential to the true development and strength of body, and that is a principle which we should proclaim more generally abroad, and practice. I know that you men who have sedentary occupations, as we do in the Church, say it is good to go out and have exercise. That will be better for us. But there is something more than just that. Sunday is a day when we change our clothes, put on clean linen. It is truth that "cleanliness is next to godliness," and the Lord said, "Be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord." Bacon, the great philosopher, said, "Cleanliness of body was ever esteemed to proceed from a due reverence to God. The consciousness of clean linen is in and of itself a source of moral strength, second only to that of a clean conscience." The farmer who makes his boys go out and haul hay, even when a storm is coming, is doing his boys an injustice. It would be much better to let that hay be destroyed than to deprive those boys of a sense of coming nearer to the Eternal Spirit, and partake of the sacrament, that they may always have his Spirit to be with them. A second purpose for keeping holy the Sabbath Day is: "That thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world." Contemplation during that sacred hour, self communion, and higher than that, communion in thought and feeling with the LordÄÄthe realization that He is near enough to be aware of what you are thinking. What you think aboutÄÄis really what you are. "Nae treasures, nor pleasures, Could make us happy lang; The heart ay's the part ay That makes us right or wrang. Keep thyself unspotted from the world, and ask God to forgive you if you have in mind injuring anyone who trusts youÄÄI mean morallyÄÄor if you have in mind wronging anybody, cleanse it from your mind. Read Doctrine and Covenants Section 59. There is a third reason. Keeping holy the Sabbath Day is a law of God, resounding through the ages from Mt. Sinai. You cannot transgress the law of God without circumscribing your spirit. Finally, our Sabbath, the first day of the week, commemorates the greatest event in all history: Christ's resurrection and his visit as a resurrected being to his assembled Apostles. His birth, of course, was necessary, and just as great, so I say this is one of the greatest events in all history. "The Sunday," says Emerson, "is the core of our civilization, dedicated to thought and reverence. It invites to the noblest solitude, and to the noblest society." We have other instructions and suggestions, but I will add no more than to commend the excellent admonitions given by Brother Petersen, President Clark, and President Richards. I will conclude with reference to an incident as a missionary in Scotland in 1898. After having been in Stirling only a few weeks, I walked around Stirling Castle with my senior companion, Elder Peter G. Johnston of Idaho. We had not yet secured our lodging in Stirling. I confess I was homesick. We had spent a half-day around the castle, and the men out in the fields ploughing, that spring day, made me all the more homesick, and took me back to my old home town. As we returned to the town, I saw an unfinished building standing back from the sidewalk several yards. Over the front door was a stone arch, something unusual in a residence, and what was still more unusual, I could see from the sidewalk that there was an inscription chiseled in that arch. I said to my companion: "That's unusual! I am going to see what the inscription is." When I approached near enough, this message came to me, not only in stone, but as if it came from One in whose service we were engaged: "Whate'er Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part." I turned and walked thoughtfully away, and when I reached my companion I repeated the message to him. God help us to follow that motto. It is just another expression of Christ's words: "He that will do the will of God shall know of the doctrine, whether the work is of God, or whether I speak of myself," and that testimony leads us all to the guidance of the Holy Spirit in life. I humbly pray that the Priesthood assembled this night (the number we will give you tomorrowÄÄthe greatest, probably, in the history of the Church) will take upon themselves the responsibilities which God has placed upon them, and do their duty wherever it may be, and I ask it in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. October 7, 1956 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY JUST A WORD about our obligation as citizens: When the Apostle Paul was being bound with thongs for a scourging, he said to the centurion that stood by, "Is it lawful for you to scourge a man that is a Roman, and uncondemned?" Then the chief captain came and said to Paul: "Tell me, art thou a Roman?" and Paul answered that he was. "And the chief captain answered, With a great sum obtained I this freedom." I fancy that Paul straightened up when he said: "But I was free born!" (See Acts 22:25Ä28.) I wonder if we freeborn Americans appreciate what it is to have the right to vote, to express by our vote our choice of those who are to rule over us. No, thank heaven, not to rule over usÄÄto serve us in the service of the government. For you, the electorate, are the rulers in this great Republic. Those who have taken out their citizenship I think appreciate it even more than some of us who have it by birth. We have an election in November, in which you have the right to state who will fill the offices that are now to be filled in the nation, in the state, and in our local affairs. We ask, we plead that every member of the Church go to the polls in November and cast your vote for the men and women whom you wish to occupy the offices named. Now you choose, and choose wisely and prayerfully, but cast your vote. We have a moment left in which to express appreciation and gratitude for those who have quietly and effectively rendered service in making these three days of conference so memorable. Undoubtedly I shall overlook some, but our hearts go out to everyone, and to all groups who have contributed to the success of this, probably the greatest, the most inspirational conference we have held. I can just merely name them. First, we thank the public press, especially our leading newspapers who have been so fair and generous in letting the public who could not attend conference understand and to a degree partake of the inspiration that radiated not only from the words but also from the hearts of the speakers. We express appreciation to the reporters who have daily taken notes and so fairly and accurately reported each session of the conference. We express appreciation for the cooperation of the city officials, including Chief Cleon W. Skousen and the traffic officers. I have noticed, as have many of you, that officers in uniform have been constantly at posts of duty protecting, as far as they could, pedestrians from any possible danger. We express appreciation to the ushers who have rendered service early and late in seating the great audiences. They have been quiet, but effective, in their services. We have already expressed appreciation for these beautiful flowers, "prophets of beauty and song," among the sweetest of God's blessings to men, to life. How beautiful is God's world if we but stop to listen and to look. We express appreciation for the assistance rendered by the various radio and television stations, here in our own city and state, and in other states named in the various sessions of the conference. Truly, their service has been the means of permitting tens of thousands of people to hear the proceedings of this, the one hundred twentyÄseventh semiÄannual conference of the Church. We have been greatly blessed throughout the conference with musicÄÄthe first day the "Singing Mothers," conducted by Sister Florence J. Madsen; the second, by the combined Scandinavian choirs under the direction of Brother R. Hulbert Keddington; and today, the inspirational singing of our own Tabernacle Choir under the leadership of Brother J. Spencer Cornwall. How their singing, so willingly and spiritually rendered, has uplifted our souls! We have always had good singing in previous conferences, but I feel somehow that these three group of singers throughout this conference have reached superior heights, and we say thank you, and God bless you! I wish to express gratitude for the support, blessing, and strength always of Presidents Richards and Clark and for the spirit of unity that Pervades the Quorum of the Presidency. The wisdom of these able men is ever directed to the furtherance of the kingdom of God. May the Lord continue to bless them. Likewise, these members of the Council of the Twelve: You can feel that in these quorums (and I include now the Assistants to the Twelve, the First Council of the Seventy, the Presiding Bishopric, and the Patriarch)ÄÄyou can feel radiating from these men that for which Christ prayed when he offered that great intercessory prayer. Among other things he said: "And now I am no more in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to thee. Holy Father, keep through thine own name those whom thou hast given me, that they may be one, as we are.' (John 17:11.) These brethren prove daily, as was particularly evidenced in a sacred meeting in the temple last Thursday, that they have that spirit of oneness, and we are united in praying that you presidencies of stakes, bishoprics of wards, presidencies of quorums, presidencies and superintendencies of auxiliaries, may be so blessed that you too may say: We strive to be one as the Father and Son are one. God bless you that this may be true. Just preceding the opening of this conference, the Relief Society held dedicatory services of the new Relief Society home. They have been crowded, and have had to work in the congested hallways, stacked with boxes, to prepare sacred clothing. They have been forced to store away mementos and gifts because they had no room for themÄÄgifts presented to them by lovers of the truth. Now they have a home in which these gifts may be properly displayed. What is more, the dedication of this home has given room now to the other auxiliaries who are crowded, inconvenienced in their efforts to serve the Church. The removal of the Relief Society from their old quarters to the new will relieve the congested quarters of the other auxiliaries. We suggest to these auxiliaries that they continue as best they can. Committees are now working on plans to help you that you may have more room. In the meanÄtime, work as best you can until the opportunity comes to give you also more room. There are some others to whom I wish to express gratitude. We have not heard from them. They are the men and women throughout the entire Church who are contributing of their time and means to the advancement of the truth, not just in teaching, but in genuine service in many ways. Some of these are struggling to make their own living. Some of them are wealthy men and women who have retired, who count their wealth in millions. It means something when a man of means will give to the Church his contribution of a million, and then say, "All my time is yours." It means something to leave your vocation, cross the ocean, and render service to the building of schools and temples. God bless those who are rendering this service, and bless you all, for I think we can say for the Church, "We are striving to be one, Father, as thou and thy Son are one. "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me," said our Lord and Savior. (Matt. 25:40.) We are grateful to the Lord for the guiding influence of his Holy Spirit throughout this conference. There is a saying that "My soul rejects the use of words; Lord, look at my heart." We can sincerely say, as unitedly we express gratitude to him for his presence during this conference: "Lord, look at our hearts!" God help us all to serve one another in his name for the good and advancement of the kingdom of God, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Salvation, an Individual Responsibility by President David O McKay PRESIDENT OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTERÄDAY SAINTS (Opening address at the first session, April 5, 1957.) MY BELOVED brethren and sisters, this is one of the most humbling experiences of my life. In anticipation of this moment I have spent many hours of thought and many hours of prayer. I think there is no experience in the world that makes one of the General Authorities, or any man who holds the priesthood, feel so dependent upon inspiration, as standing before a Vast audience of members of the Church. I do pray for your sympathetic attention, and for the guidance of the Holy Spirit. It is a joy to meet with you, notwithstanding the sense of responsibility. I have chosen as a text, to indicate a line of thought: "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21.) The thought is, as expressed by James: "But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only." (James 1:22, italics added.) That applies particularly to each individual. Salvation is an individual affair. We are not saved as congregations, nor as groups, but we are saved as we come into the world as individuals, and the Lord's purpose is to save the individual, each being precious in his sight. Before commenting further upon the theme, I desire to express commendation for the progress made by the Church and individual groups during the last six months and during the past year. This has been another prosperous year for the Church. Increased faith and more active participation in Church activity are evidenced almost weekly by the reports of the General Authorities of their assigned visits throughout the stakes and missions. Some illustrative facts follow: 1. Regarding Sacrament Meetings: Attendance at Sacrament meetings during 1956 is the highest yet attained in the ChurchÄÄ15,000 more people attended last year than in 1955, and that was the highest percentage of attendance to date. From 1945 to 1955 there has been a gradual increase of attendance at Sacrament meetings of eleven percent. 2. Regarding Tithes and Offerings: Greater devotion is evident, also, in the increase of tithes and offerings. It appears that a larger proportion of the members are contributing a larger proportion of their incomes, the result being that tithes and offerings have increased during recent years substantially more than the growth in membership and the indicated increase in average incomes of the Saints. Those two items point to increased spirituality, the very object of our organization. 3. Regarding the Welfare Plan: We are grateful for the progress that has been made in the welfare plan. Hundreds of projects have been established, and bishops' storehouses equipped to supply in a helpful and dignified manner the needs of the poor. The priesthood generally and the Relief Society sisters have responded to this important work. We are especially grateful to the members of the general Church welfare committee, who have given direct supervision to this program for a period of over twenty years. The basic concepts of the welfare program have been tested and proved to be sound. Nevertheless, we must constantly remind ourselves of the primary purpose of the plan, which isÄÄFirst, to supply in a helpful and dignified manner food, clothing, and shelter to every person so in need. Second, to assist men and women who, through misfortune, illÄluck, or disaster, find themselves without gainful employment, to become once again selfÄsupporting. Third, to increase among the members of the Church the true spirit of the brotherhood of Christ, having in mind in all their service the divine saying, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." (Matt. 25:40.) 4. Missionary Work: In 1956 there were 23,923 baptisms performed in foreign and stake missions, which is an increase of nine percent over the previous year. 5. Schools in Polynesia: I am sure you will be interested in the progress of the schools in Polynesia. The New Zealand College will be finished and ready for opening in February 1958. It is composed of an administration building, a student center building, which is made up of two fullÄscale gymnasiums, cafeteria, kitchen, student center, lounge, swimming pool, locker rooms, and an auditorium combined with the gymnasium which will seat 4500 people. There are five classroom wings which will accommodate 1000 day students, three girls' dormitories and three boys' dormitories, accommodating 600 students. I will not go into further detail, but I do wish to express a word of commendation to those who are working down there. I should name them, but there is one man and his wife, particularly, who deserve commendation, and that is Brother George R. Biesinger and his sweet wife. He has left his business here and devoted years to this project, and will continue to do so until the completion of the temple and the completion of these schools. In Samoa, there are new additions to the Pesega School in Western Samoa. The school is completed also at Vaiola, Savaii, Samoa, and one at Sauniatu, Samoa, Another is now under construction at Mapusago, Samoa. In Tonga at the Liahona College, two large wings to the boys' and girls' dormitories, a new classroom wing, a new dining hall with kitchen facilities combined, and dormitories for the men and women teachers are under construction. In Hawaii, the new Junior College now being built at Laie, Oahu, will accommodate not fewer than 750 students. The large shop building and the main building are already nearing completion. All of these school buildings of the South Pacific are being built by labor missionaries called from America, and local labor missionaries called from their respective homelands. The work is going forward in a completely satisfactory manner, and in all areas is on schedule. Commendation and appreciation are extended to the local labor missionaries and to the Saints who contribute to the sustenance of these labor missionaries in this vast building program, as well as to our labors missionary supervisors called from America. 6. Regarding Our Temples: Near Auckland, New Zealand, on December 22, 1956, another milestone in Church history was passed. Elder Hugh B. Brown, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, under appointment from the First Presidency, conducted the services and officiated at the cornerstone laying ceremonies for the New Zealand Temple. Cornerstone laying ceremonies for the London Temple will be held at Newchapel, Surrey County, England, May 11, 1957. Elder Richard t. Evans of the Council of the Twelve will officiate at the ceremonies. The ground for this temple wash broken August 27, 1955. Brethren and sisters, to partake of the spirit of faith and activity in the Church is inspiring. Membership therein is at once a privilege and a blessing. Looking around us, we are convinced that we are living in an era of great progress, embracing wonderful inventions and scientific discoveries. Man's search for the unknown has led him out of the world of matter literally into the realm of space. He splits the atom, sets off horrifying hydrogen explosions, flies through space at a speed faster than sound, is taking steps to build satellites to accompany the earth in its revolutions. Many of the imaginations of Jules Verne are now commonplace realities. Flying to the moon is an achievement now considered possible. The earth itself, figuratively speaking, is shrinking. The railroad, automobiles, airplanes, have made New York and San Francisco nextÄdoor neighbors, and Greenland and the South Pole only a few days apart! But with all these things comes increased responsibility to every individual, man, woman, and child. New inventions bring greater Opportunities, but demand more activity, more strength of character. Many years ago you and I read the following comment by Roger W. Babson, the great statistician: "Although the airplane opens up boundless opportunities, it also threatens limitless perils. All depends upon whether we can match this flood of new material powers with an equal gain in spiritual forces. The coming generation can see in a minute more than the former generation could see in a week. The coming generation can out-hear and out-travel the former generation. Horsepower has expanded beyond all dreams. But what about manpower? What about spiritual power, and the power of judgment, discretion, and selfÄcontrol? Unless there is a development of character equal to this enlargement of physical forces there is sure trouble ahead. TwentyÄfive years ago an intoxicated man might tip the buggy over, but commonly the old horse would bring him home. Today a driver under the influence of liquor maims and kills. Tomorrow, therefore, is something to ponder over. Without moral progress in pace with physical progress the airplane will merely make dissipation more disastrous, immorality more widespread, and crime more efficient. One result of the automobile has been to put hell on wheels; the airplane will put hell on wings unless righteousness, too, is speeded up. On the development of character depends whether the airplane shall bring prosperity or calamity." Along this same line also are the comments of Mr. A. Cressy Morrison, eminent scientist who, fearing "a period of regression for true civilization," says: "If we have read the signs of the times correctly, or even if we have exaggerated some of the symptoms, the only salvation for mankind will be found in religion. However, it must be a sound Christian religion, vitalized by its own primitive ideals; aware of the progress of science, rid of prejudice against fair speculative intelligence, and soaring high above frontiers. Never in her two thousand years has the Church had a more urgent call and a nobler opportunity to fulfill her obligations as the comforter and guide of humanity." That is from Man Does Not Stand Alone (p. 264), a book I commend to all earnest seekers after truth. Well, as our text says, "Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven." (Matt. 7:21.) Too many people in the world are sitting and giving only lip service to God; too many have forgotten him; too many are denying him; too many are crying, "Lord, Lord," but fail to follow his principles. Many of us through selfishness are lingering near the edge of the animal jungle where Nature's law demands us to do everything with self in view. SelfÄpreservation is the first law of mortal life, but Jesus says, "He that findeth his life shall lose it; and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it." (Ibid., 10:39.) The first experience of our Savior after his baptism, and after having been acknowledged by his Father as his Only Begotten Son, was to triumph over selfishness on the Mount of Temptation. Applicable today is Paul's admonition to the Philippians, given over nineteen hundred years ago: "Wherefore, my beloved . . . [and that branch in Philippi was the first branch in Europe] work out your own salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure. "Do all things without murmurings and disputings: "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world." (Phil. 2:12Ä15.) An outstanding doctrine of the Church is that each individual carries the responsibility to work out his own salvation, and salvation is a process of gradual development. The Church does not accept the doctrine that a mere murmured belief in Jesus Christ is all that is necessary. A man may say he believes, but if he does nothing to make that belief or faith a moving power to do, to accomplish, to produce soul growth, his professing will avail him nothing. "Work out your own salvation" is an exhortation to demonstrate by activity, by thoughtful, obedient effort the reality of faith. But this must be done with a consciousness that absolute dependence upon self may produce pride and weakness that will bring failure. With "fear and trembling" we should seek the strength and grace of God for inspiration to obtain the final victory. To work out one's salvation is not to sit idly by dreaming and yearning for God miraculously to thrust bounteous blessings into our laps. It is to perform daily, hourly, momentarily, if necessary, the immediate task or duty at hand, and to continue happily in such performance as the years come and go, leaving the fruits of such labors either for self or for others to be bestowed as a just and beneficent Father may determine. I am not unmindful of the scripture that declares: "by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God." (Ephesians 2:8.) That is absolutely true, for man in his taking upon himself mortality was impotent to save himself. When left to grope in a natural state, he would have become, and did become, so we are told in modern scripture, "carnal, sensual, and devilish, by nature." (Alma 42:10.) But the Lord, through his grace, appeared to man, gave him the gospel or eternal plan whereby he might rise above the carnal and selfish things of life and obtain spiritual perfection. But he must rise by his own efforts and he must walk by faith. "He who would ascend the stairway leading upward to eternal life must tread it step by step from the base stone to the summit of its flight. Not a single stair can be missed, not one duty neglected, if the climber would avoid danger and delay and arrive with all safety and expedition at the topmost landing of the celestial exaltation." The responsibility is upon each individual to choose the path of righteousness, of faithfulness and duty to fellow men. If he choose otherwise and as a result meets failure, misery, and death, he alone is to blame. President Brigham Young, speaking on this thought, once said: "If Brother Brigham should take a wrong track and be shut out of the kingdom of heaven, no person will be to blame but Brother Brigham. I am the only being in heaven, earth, or hell, that can be blamed. This will equally apply to every LatterÄday Saint. Salvation is an individual operation. I am the only person that can possibly save myself. When salvation is sent to me, I can reject or receive it. In receiving it, I yield implicit obedience and submission to its great Author throughout my life, and to those whom he shall appoint to instruct me; in rejecting it, I follow the dictates of my own will in preference to the will of my Creator." In thus emphasizing individual effort, I am not unmindful of the necessity of coÄoperation. "There is a destiny which makes us brothers, None lives to self alone; All that we send into the lives of others Comes back into our own." ÄEdwin Markham (Used by Permission.) A single, struggling individual may be stalled with his heavy load even as he begins to climb the hill before him. To reach the top unaided is an impossibility. With a little help from fellow travelers, quorums, or wards, he makes the grade and goes on his way in gratitude and rejoicing. This is in harmony with the teachings of Jesus, "who sought to perfect society, not by popular agitation or by reorganization, but by perfecting the individual. He recognized the fatal fallacy in the dream of those who hoped to make a perfect state out of imperfect individuals. The ideal social state, which he described as the kingdom of God, is a commonwealth in which all men are united and governed by a commanding love both for God and for their neighbors." The presentÄday turmoil and bitter strivings threaten to undermine basic foundations of Christian relationship. Liberty, freedom of speech, selfÄgovernment, faith in God, and particularly faith in the efficacy of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, are facing a bombardment from the ranks of error such as the world has seldom if ever witnessed. Too many men quail under the impending onslaught, and cry vainly, "What can we do?" To members of the Church, to men everywhere, the Church answers, "Keep the commandments of God," as named specifically, for example, by the Prophet Nephi: " . . . God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing. . "And again, the Lord God hath commanded that men should not murder; that they should not lie; that they should not steal; that they should not take the name of the Lord their God in vain; that they should not envy; that they should not have malice; that they should not contend one with another; that they should not commit whoredoms; and that they should do none of these things; for whoso doeth them shall perish." (2 Nephi 26:30, 32.) I commend this chapter to you. Avoidance of Intoxicating Liquor: In this dispensation the Lord has warned mankind against the use of intoxicating liquors. In violation of that warning alcoholism is now a national problem. Americans spend the staggering sum of more than nine billion dollars every year for alcoholic beverages. In addition, lost wages, crime, and accidents traced to alcoholism cost Americans another $667,000,000 a year. (Facts given by Dr. Chester A. Winyard in "Alcohol and Human Tissues." See Deseret News, February 10, 1954.) "Alcoholism has become a major public health problem, for it is 155 times more prevalent than polio, 11 times more prevalent than tuberculosis, and 6 times more prevalent than cancer. If the number of alcoholics continues to increase during the next ten years as it has during the past ten years, alcoholism will soon affect every family in the United States." So says a pamphlet published by the National Committee for the Prevention of Alcoholism, Washington, D. C., July 22ÄAugust 2, 1956. Over a hundred years ago the Lord said through the Prophet Joseph Smith that "tobacco . . . is not good for man. (D & C 89:8.) Luther Burbank in the "Dearborn Independent" says: "How much would you know about tobacco if, upon the tombstone of everyone killed by it were inscribed, 'Killed by tobacco'? "You would know a lot more about it than you do now, but you would not know all, because tobacco does more than kill. It halfÄkills. It has its victims in the cemeteries and in the streets. It is bad enough to be dead, but it is a question if it is not sometimes worse to be halfÄdead, to be nervous, irritable, unable to sleep well, with efficiency cut in two and vitality ready to snap at the first great strain. This seems like exaggeration. It isn't! It is well within the truth. "Let me tell you how tobacco kills. Smokers do not all drop dead around the cigar lighters in tobacco stores. They go away and, years later, die of something else. From the tobacco trust's point of view, that is one of the finest things about tobacco. The victims do not die on the premises, even when sold the worst cigars. They go away, and when they die, the doctors certify that they died of something else, ÄÄpneumonia, heart disease, typhoid fever, or what not. "In other words, tobacco kills indirectly and escapes the blame," confirming what the Prophet Joseph said before, "tobacco . . . is not good for man." "Approximately 38,000,000 Americans are regular cigarette smokers, although a million and a half have quit smoking entirely in the last eighteen months, according to estimates based on a survey made by the US Bureau of the Census for the National Cancer Institute of the Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare. The 38,000,000 cigarette smokers include 25,000,000 men and 13,000,000 women." (See "America's Smoking Habits," THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, April 1957.) In the Church no teacher who indulges in smoking should be permitted to teach our children in Primary and Sunday School. Through the Prophet Joseph the Lord gave the Word of Wisdom to all. It is time, in the light of revelation and the discoveries of science, that this Church upholds its principles regarding, these things. The best way to prevent indulgence in these harmful habits is to refuse to tamper with them. Let each youth decline the first invitation to indulge, remembering that "The soul that Is worth the honor of earth, is the soul that resists desire. "Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence. "He that is slothful shall not, be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved shall not be counted worthy to stand." (D & C 107:99Ä100.) The Church is thriving, as indicated in my opening remarks. Let us rejoice in her progress. To see the discoveries of science and to be the recipients of inventions and new appliances as they relieve daily life of former drudgery give hope and encouragement; but to overcome difficulties, to control temper, to subdue and conquer passion, in whatever form, to feel in one's heart a growing love for truth and for one's fellowÄmen, to sense a nearness to God our Father, and to recognize the whisperings of his voice through the Holy Spirit, fill the soul with joy and make life worth living. That obedience to the principles of the restored gospel gives to man these blessings, I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. President McKay's General Priesthood Address for April 1957 is missing from this collection. April 7, 1957 General Conference President David O. McKay TO KNOW GOD by President David O. McKay AT THE CONCLUSION of this great conference, I am sure you would have me express appreciation to all who have contributed to it, including those who have so inspired us with their upÄlifting sermons. I shall repeat, of course, some expressions which we have already given directly at the time of service. You have been blessed by the sight of these beautiful flowers, so profusely displayed before youÄÄthe call a lilies from the high priests' quorum of the OaklandÄBerkeley Stake; the daffodils from Puyallup Valley Daffodil Festival, Inc., sent here through the Tacoma Stake; the spring flowers here from the Phoenix and the East Phoenix stakes; the bird of paradise flowers from the Los Angeles Temple Grounds. We express appreciation for the thoughtfulness of all who have desired to make pleasant these gatherings through these "messengers of love." We thank representatives of the public press for their fair and accurate reports throughout the sessions of conference; the city officials, Chief W. Cleon Skousen, and traffic officers for their coÄoperation in handling the increased traffic here in the city. We express appreciation to the fire department and to the Red Cross for being on hand to render any service that might be needed. To the Tabernacle ushers, who have rendered service early and late in seating the great audiences! For assistance rendered by the various radio and television stations, here in our own city and state, and other states named in the various sessions of the conference, we are grateful. This truly has been the means of permitting tens of thousands of people to hear the proceedings of the 127th annual general conference of the Church. We appreciate the choirs. Never have we had better service than the choral groups have rendered during these three days, beginning Friday with the Brigham Young University combined choruses, with Norman Gulbrandsen and Newell B. Weight conducting; the Institute of Religion chorus from the University of Utah, with David Austin Shand conducting; the Tabernacle Choir male chorus last evening under the direction of J. Spencer CornwallÄÄall these choir seats filledÄÄa larger group, I think, than we have ever had before. It was appropriate, too, because it was the largest priesthood meeting ever held in the Church. And now, today, we appreciate the singing of the Tabernacle Choir under the direction of Brother Cornwall. We express appreciation, also, to the organists, Alexander Schreiner and Frank W. Asper, and Brother Roy M. Darley, assistant organist. I should like to say just a word in conclusion. I do not know how many of you heard Brother Marion G. Romney this morning. I hope all of you listened to his excellent address over the ChurchÄofÄtheÄAir broadcast, speaking about the reality of inspiration from God to individuals. I was reminded of what Peter said. (My fellow workers know that I am rather partial to Peter, the chief Apostle of the Meridian of TimesÄÄa practical man, a successful fisherman.) But as I have read his life, I find that he rose from a seeming indifference to religion to the heights of spirituality, and I find confirmation of that in the following reference in his First Epistle General. He refers to an "inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled," and that inheritance the "lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead," a hope that "fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, "Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. "Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations:" (See 1 Peter 1:3Ä6.) Then he continues in his Second Epistle, referring to the sacredness of the priesthood, "that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature;. . ." (2 Peter 1:4.) Happy is the man who has experienced that relationship to his Maker, wherein we are "partakers of the divine nature." That is a reality, and I so testify to you here in this sacred hour. Then Peter says that we must go on from that. . . ". . .giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; "And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; "And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity." (Ibid., 1:5Ä7.) Note those virtues from that practical man who had experienced the relationship, the real relationship to his Creator. And you have had that experience, many, and I hope all may have it. It is glorious. And then the promise: "For if these things [virtues] be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ibid., 1:8.) And you have heard in this conference what that knowledge means; to know God and Jesus Christ, his Son, is eternal life. Or, in the exact words, as recorded in the 17th chapter of John: "And this is life eternal [this is Jesus praying to his Father, two distinct personages], that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." (John 17:3.) That, my brothers and sisters, is the highest purpose of life. It has been put in one sentence that the whole purpose of life is "to subdue matter" (conquer everything physical, our passions, enmity, selfishness, and all that), "to subdue matter that we might realize the ideal," and that is the idealÄÄ"life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent." With all my soul, at the conclusion of this highly spiritual conference, I bless you that you may attain that testimony, that high spiritual state, which will make all who attain it ready to enter through the veil into the presence of God, our Eternal Father. Thank you, Brethren and our fellow workers of the General Authorities, for the messages you have given during this conference. You have been blessed. Thank you, brethren and sisters, here especially in this great Tabernacle, for your reverent attitude in every session. May you go home now with your children to your neighbors, and radiate that high spirit of love, brotherhood, virtue, integrity, which will lead them to investigate the gospel of Jesus Christ and eventually accept those principles, that they too, someday, may realize what it is to be "partakers of the divine nature," I pray, in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. There was no October 1957 General Conference April 4, 1958 General Conference President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY May I say to these students that their presence and especially their inspiring singing add much to the sacredness of this assembly. It is glorious to have several hundred students sing with such spirit and devotion. We are proud of them and of the university from which they come. We appreciate the coÄoperation of President Wilkinson, members of the faculty, and the students in postponing their regular day's work in school to join in this worship. It is over fifty years since I stood here for the first time as one of the General Authorities of the Church. I remember well then my trembling and humility at facing such an audience and accepting a position as one of the leaders. The passing of a half a century has made it no easier to face this vast audience and to realize the responsibility that one holds in discharging such a responsibility. This morning, as then and during the intervening years, I solicit your sympathy and your prayers. A year has passed since we met on such an occasion. In behalf of the First Presidency I bid you welcome, not only those who are here in the Tabernacle, the Assembly Hall, and other surrounding halls, but also the vast audience listening in over radio and television. We are very happy indeed that you are taking time out to participate in the general conference of the Church. We extend welcome especially to the 31,817 converts of the Church during this past year. That group alone will constitute six stakes of five thousand each. We bid you welcome and trust that you, with all others listening in, will realize the added responsibility which is yours as you assume the responsibility of membership in the Church of Christ. We wish to commend the missionaries in the stakes and in the field who have been instrumental in bringing these added numbers to the Church of ChristÄÄsix new stakes, more than that if we limit the number to three thousand each. "And if it so be that you should labor all your days in crying repentance unto this people, and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father!" (D & C 18:15.) And as you bring many souls, how much joy you will experience. We commend those who have been diligent during the past year in carrying the message of glad tidings to so many people. I shall not take time to report the advance in priesthood work, in auxiliary work, and other phases of the Church, but you may feel gratified indeed with the work of the past year. It has been difficult for me to put even in outline the message that I have had in my heart for the people of the Church and the people of the world. There is a saying by Paul, that "to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace." (Rom. 8:6.) Carnal relates, as you know, to the physical. It includes sensual. But we have in mind this morning the physical surroundings and our animal instincts, the anger that comes to us, the unpleasant words that are spoken, making life unpleasant, rather than emphasizing the spiritual side, the real side of our nature. The text was suggested several weeks ago, particularly emphasized at that time, by a report that came to me of unpleasantness in a home, and I wondered why we cannot emphasize spiritual attitudes in our homes instead of unpleasant attitudes; why, having before us all the admonitions of the the Lord, all the opportunities offered by the Church, we cannot express spiritual attitudes every day of our lives. What good is religion if it does not make our daily lives better? Why need there be emphasis put upon the carnal side of our natures? True, that is the natural reaction for all animals. But having in our possession the high principles of the gospel as revealed through Christ, why cannot members of the Church at least in the home, in school, in all their associations, emphasize the spiritual side of their natures instead of the carnal side? I learned through a letter of a condition which I think, so far as members of the Church are concerned, is absolutely inexcusable. A husband and wife quarrelingÄÄthe husband demeaning himself to such an extent as to curse his wife, and in a mad fit of anger overturning a table spread with dishesÄÄa creature in the form of a man harboring the nature of an animal! A man in such a mental state that the anger itself does him more harm than the condition which aroused his anger, and in reality, brothers and sisters, he suffers more from the vexation than he does from the acts that aroused that vexation. I wonder how long it will take us to realize that in matters of temper nothing can bring us damage but ourselvesÄÄwe are responsible for what helps us and for what injures usÄÄthat the harm that each one sustains he carries about with him, and never is he a real sufferer but by his own fault. I think you get that thought, and yet the tendency of each one is to blame somebody else, the wife blaming the husband, the husband blaming the wife, children finding fault with the parents when the fault lies with themselves. If in the dignity of manhood such a man would cease to magnify his troubles; would face things as they really are; recognize blessings that immediately surround him; cease to entertain disparaging wishes for another; how much more of a man he would be, to say nothing about being a better husband and a more worthy father! A man who cannot control his temper is not very likely to control his passion, and no matter what his pretensions in religion, he moves in daily life very close to the animal plane. Religion is supposed to lift us on a higher level. Religion appeals to the spirit in man, the real person, and yet how often notwithstanding our possessing a testimony of the truth, we yield to the carnal side of our nature. The man who quarrels in his home, banishes from his heart the spirit of religion. A mother in this Church who would light a cigaret in the home is yielding to the carnal side of her nature. How far below the ideal of the Church! Any quarreling in the home is antagonistic to the spirituality which Christ would have us develop within us, and it is in our daily life that these expressions have their effect. Man is making great progress in science and invention, greater perhaps than ever before, but is not making comparable progress in character and spirituality. I read awhile ago of a remark of General Omar N. Bradley, formerly Army's Chief of Staff, who on one occasion said: "With the monstrous weapons man already has, humanity is in danger of being trapped in this world by its moral adolescence. Our knowledge of science has clearly outstripped our capacity to control it. "We have too many men of science; too few men of God. We have grasped the mystery of the atom and rejected the Sermon on the Mount. Man is stumbling blindly through a spiritual darkness while toying with the precarious secrets of life and death. "The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. Ours is a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants. We know more about war than we know about peace, more about killing than we know about living." Our living comes hourly and daily in the home, in our association in business affairs, in our meeting strangers. It is the attitude of the person during the daily contacts by which we show whether we are appealing to the carnal or to the spiritual within us and within those with whom we associate. It is a daily matter. I do not know whether we can get the thought over or not. And it is within the power of each one, especially members of the Church who make such pretensions. You cannot imagine a real, true Christian, and especially a member of the Mormon Church, swearing at his wife. Why, it is inconceivable that such a thing as that could be in a home and especially with children around. How can anyone justify parents quarreling in front of children! In the instance to which I have referred the man (I should say the brute) even struck his wife. Such a thing should never be. That is out of the life of Church members. Christ has asked us to develop the spiritual within us. Man's earthly existence is but a test as to whether he will concentrate his efforts, his mind, his soul upon things which contribute to the comfort and gratification of his physical nature or whether he will make as his life's purpose the acquisition of spiritual qualities. "Every noble impulse, every unselfish expression of love, every brave suffering for the right; every surrender of self to something higher than self; every loyalty to an ideal; every unselfish devotion to principle; every helpfulness to humanity; every act of selfÄcontrol; every fine courage of the soul, undefeated by pretence or policy, but by being, doing, and living of good for the very good's sakeÄÄthat is spirituality." The spiritual road has Christ as its idealÄÄnot the gratification of the physical, for he that will save his life, yielding to that first gratification of a seeming need, will lose his life, lose his happiness, the pleasure of living at this present time. If he would seek the real purpose of life, the individual must live for something higher than self. He bears the Savior's voice, saying: "I am the way, the truth, and the life." (John 14:6.) Following that voice he soon learns that there is no one great thing which he can do to attain happiness or eternal life. He learns that "life is made up not of great sacrifices or duties, but of little things in which smiles and kindness and small obligations given habitually are what win and preserve the heart and secure comfort." Spirituality, our true aim, is the consciousness of victory over self, and of communion with the Infinite. Spirituality impels one to conquer difficulties and acquire more and more strength. To feel one's faculties unfolding, and truth expanding in the soul, is one of life's sublimest experiences. "The thing a man does practically lay to heart," says Carlyle, "and know for certain concerning his vital relations to this mysterious Universe, and his duty and destiny there, that is in all cases the primary thing for him, and creatively determines all the rest.... And, I say, if you tell me what that is, you tell me to a very great extent what the man is, what the kind of things he will do is." The man who sets his heart upon the things of the world, who does not hesitate to cheat his brother, who will lie for gain, who will steal from his neighbor, or, who, by slander, will rob another of his reputation, lives on a low, animal plane of existence, and either stifles his spirituality or permits it to lie dormant. To be thus carnally minded is to be spiritually dead. On the other hand, keeping in mind our daily vocations, the man who tills the soil, garners his fruit, increases his flocks and his herds, having in mind making better the world in which he lives, desiring to contribute to the happiness of his family and his fellows, and who does all things for the glory of God, will, to the extent that he denies himself for these ideals, develop his spirituality. Indeed, only to the extent that he does this will he rise above the plane of the animal world. Years ago we read in school the following from Rudolph Eucken: "I cannot," he says, "conceive of the development of a powerful personality, a deepÄrooted, profound mind, of a character rising above this world, without his having experienced a divinity in life above, beyond the world of sensible reality, and as surely as we create in ourselves a life in contrast to pure nature, growing by degrees and extending to the heights of the true, the good, and the beautiful, we may have the same assurance of that religion called universal." Paul, you will remember, expresses it more specifically: "But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another. "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. "For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. "But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law. "Now the works of the flesh," he says, "are manifest, which are these; Adultery...." The young man who leaves his home at night having in mind anything that would injure either the character or the life or the reputation of a young woman with whose company he is entrusted, is carnalÄminded instead of spiritualÄminded. "....fornication, uncleanness,... "....hatred, variance, emulations...strife, seditions.... "Envyings... drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, "Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. "And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. "If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit," daily, hourly. (Gal. 5:15Ä25.) It can be done, and it should be done in every home of the LatterÄday Saint Church. With all our boasted civilization there never was a time when spiritual awakening and spiritual ideals were more needed. Civilization has grown too complex for the human mind to visualize or to control. Unless mankind come to a speedy realization that the higher and not the baser qualities of man must be developed, the present status of civilization is in jeopardy. Life on the animal plane has as its ideal the survival of the fittest, crush or be crushed, mangle or be mangled, kill or be killed. For man, with his intelligence, this is a sure road to anguish and death. About fifty years ago, Lord Balfour, Prime Minister of Great Britain, delivered a lecture in the McEwen Hall of the University of Edinburgh on the subject, "The Moral Values Which Unite the Nations." In an interesting and convincing manner, the gentleman presented four fundamental ties that unite the different nations of the world: (1) "Common Knowledge"; (2) "Common Commercial Interests"; (3) "The Intercourse of Diplomatic Relationship"; (4) "The Bonds of Human Friendship." The audience greeted his masterful address with a great outburst of applause. As the presiding officer arose to express his appreciation and that of the audience, a Japanese student who was doing graduate work at the University stood up, and leaning over the balcony, said, "But, Mr. Balfour, what about Jesus Christ?" Mr. Robin E. Spear, to whom Professor Lang related this incident, writes: "One could have beard a pin drop in the hall. Everyone felt at once the justice of the rebuke. The leading statesman of the greatest Christian empire in the world had been dealing with the different ties that are to unite mankind, and bad omitted the one fundamental and essential bond. And everyone felt, too, the dramatic element in the situationÄÄthat the reminder of his forgetfulness had come from a Japanese student from a farÄaway nonÄChristian land." Life, brethren and sisters, is an everÄflowing river on which one embarks at birth and sails, or is rowed, for fifty, seventy, eighty, or more years. Every year that passes goes into an eternity, never to return; yet each carries with it into the past no personal weakness, no bodily ailment, no sorrow, no laughter, no thought, no noble aspirations, no hope, no ambition: all these with every trait of character, every inclination, every tendency remain with each individual. In other words, our lives are made up of daily thoughts and actions. We may resolve to let all our sorrows and weaknesses go with the passing time, but we know that every thought, every inclination has left its indelible impression upon our souls, and we shall have to deal with it today. So live, then, that each day will find you conscious of having wilfully made no person unhappy. No one who has lived a wellÄspent day will have a sleepless night because of a stricken conscience. Daniel Webster once said that the greatest thought that had ever occupied his mind was the realization of the fact that, and I quote, "there is no evil we cannot face or flee from but the consequences of duty disregarded. A sense of obligation pursues us ever. It is omnipresent like the Deity. If we take to ourselves the wings of the morning and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, duty performed, or duty violated is still with us, for our happiness or our misery. If we say that night shall cover us, in the darkness as in the light, our obligations are yet with us. We cannot escape their power nor fly from their presence. They are with us in this life, will be with us at its close, and in that scene of inconceivable solemnity which lies yet farther on, we shall find ourselves followed by the consciousness of dutyÄÄto pain us forever if it has been violated, and to console us so far as God has given us grace to perform it. Weighed against conscience the world itself is but a bubble. For God himself is in conscience lending it authority." Mankind needs a spiritual awakening, brethren and sisters; the carnal minded are causing heartaches and threatening the extinction of the race. But the sun of hope is rising. Thinking men and women are recognizing the need of man's looking up towards the heavens instead of groveling in response to the animal instinct. One man, commenting upon this, said that if all the destroyers of civilization could be eliminated, and the traits of the rest of us that come from destructive strains could be eliminated, an approach to the millennium some hundred years hence is by no means inconceivable. "Can you imagine," he continues, "what this country would be like if ten or twenty billion dollars a year" (that is the amount expended to take care of our criminals) "were added to our national income? That would mean five hundred dollars, or one thousand dollars per family; but the average today, even if we include Henry Ford, is only twentyÄfive hundred, or three thousand dollars. What would happen if that sum were increased by twenty or even forty percent all around? Even if you cannot imagine the result, do you realize what it would be like to feel no need of locking doors and windows, no fear of leaving your car unprotected, no danger that your wife or daughter would be insulted, or you yourself sandbagged if you went out at night, no fear that you would have any uncollectable bills except through accident or unpreventable misfortune, no fear that in political election there would be any bribery, or in politics any graft, and no fear that anyone anywhere was trying to `do you'ÄÄcan you imagine all that? It would almost be heaven on earth. Of course, it cannot happen" (someday it will have to happen) "...and yet if all the destroyers of civilization could be eliminated, and if the traits of the rest of us that come from destructive strains could be eliminated, an approach to such a state some hundred years hence is by no means inconceivable." Spiritual awakening in the hearts of millions of men and women would bring about a changed world. I am hopeful, my brethren and sisters, that the dawning of that day is not far distant. I am conscious, as I hope all of you are, that the responsibility to try to bring about such a day rests upon the priesthood of the Church of Jesus Christ and upon the membership and upon husbands and wives and upon children in Mormon homes. May that message be felt throughout the conference that we are now holding. We cannot just come and meet and talk about good things and then go home and express our feelings, the feelings of our carnal nature. My faith in the ultimate triumph of the gospel of Jesus Christ assures me that a spiritual awakening must come. It will come through the acceptance of Jesus Christ and obedience to his gospel and in no other way completely. I believe there never was a time in the history of the world when there was such a need for a united, determined stand to uphold Christ and the restoration of the gospel through the Prophet Joseph Smith as there is today. God bless you here assembled that we may sense as never before the efficacy of the restored gospel and that we hold as a duty our application of spiritual traits in our daily association with one another in home, in business, in society, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. April 5, 1958 General Priesthood Meeting President David O. McKay PRESIDENT DAVID O. McKAY I hold in my hand the number of the men of the Priesthood in the quorums of this fraternity to which President Richards has referred, Melchizedek and Aaronic: In round numbers, in the Melchizedek quorumsÄÄHigh Priests, Seventies, EldersÄÄHigh Priests, 41,552; Seventies, 20,649; Elders, 120,230ÄÄapproximately 190,000 men; 150,000 Aaronic Priesthood members. As I have listened to the wonderful messages given tonight, there came to my mind the words of the Savior: "...whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock; "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. "And every one that heareth these sayings of mine. and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: "And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it." (Matt. 7:24Ä27.) Over three hundred thousand men holding the Priesthood, carrying the responsibility of exemplars as well as proclaimers. Exemplars! If we could get but half of these men to apply in their lives every practical suggestion given tonight what a mighty influence for good would be accomplished! May I take, for example, some suggestions from the theme of Brother Lowell Bennion? Young people, young girls in high school, going daily in courtship with young boys of their age, of the girls' age, in their early 'teens, depriving themselves of becoming better acquainted with other companions; and in that daily courtship in their early age, becoming so intimate as to arouse their passions for an hour's pleasure, bringing misery upon themselves through life. And that is not imagination! You men in the Presidencies of Stakes and Bishoprics of Wards, and you fathers and mothers of some of them, know that that is not imagination. What practical suggestions Brother Bennion has given us in regard to this early association! The Mutuals are trying to work out Saturday night dances to entertain these young people. They merit entertainment, and we must furnish it for them. In our own wards, young men and young women come to those dances, and the young man and his girl spend the entire time they are there in that social in each other's company, dancing together hour after hour. Years ago we did not use to do that. Now, they say, "Well, I pay my ticket; I bring my girl, and I have the right to dance with her." I wonder if we can do something, Bishops, to help our Mutuals make more effective their plans to have all the young people become well acquainted with one another as suggested by Brother Bennion. That is just one means. We have young people who go out in society, our young boys and girls; they are not quite strong enough to say no when the cigarette and wine glass are passed around. They look upon father and mother and some of us teachers as oldÄfashioned. They erroneously think that it is all right to participate in the "wine cup" in the social ethics of the crowd, out in the canyon and other places. Some of our boys and girls are so eager to be the "hale fellow, well met" that they go to an extreme, and disappoint, not to say disgust, visitors from outside who look upon the Mormon boys and girls as abstainers from these things. Can we go from this great Priesthood Meeting with just a little more determination to put into effect the suggestions given by Brother Bennion at the request of the Authorities? They were excellent and you are now expected to carry out those suggestions. "Whoso ever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man. . ." I think this has been a wonderful meeting. We shall get the number who are in attendance later. But now the question is, what shall we do about it? Two hundred and fifty thousand members in this fraternity. Are we equal to holding up the standards? Take just the number we have assembled here tonightÄÄlet us hold to the ideals given. We know they are right. There are many, for example, who be come addicted to tobacco. We know it is wrong. Those who use it know it is wrong and injurious. Those who advertise it know it is wrong, and we sit in our homes and hear of the safety of one kind of cigarette over another, indicating that those who manufacture those cigarettes know they are injurious, and yet we go on violating the Word of God who a hundred years or more ago said, "tobacco . . . is not good for man." Many who are listening to us to night use it. You will not be excommunicated for using it, but the use of tobacco is not good. It is so stated in the Word of Wisdom, given by revelation to the Prophet Joseph Smith. Do not you think that it is time,